Fitness fanatic, 20, who vapes ‘constantly from morning to night’ has had part of his previously ‘healthy’ lung chopped off after it collapsed and disturbing footage revealed it was full of black spots

By William On Aug 14, 2023

A fitness fanatic had to cut off part of his previously “healthy” lung at just 20 years old after horrifying photos revealed it was full of black spots – which he blames on his habit of vaping from morning to night.

Sean Tobin first started vaping in 2018 and claimed to get through one 5,000 puffs a week disposable vape at the height of his habit.

The 20-year-old claims the vape “never left his hand” for five years and that he would use it constantly from morning to night, in addition to occasionally smoking marijuana and THC oil.

However, things took a turn for the worse when Sean felt a stabbing pain in his back on July 20 while working in Tilton, New Hampshire.

The apprentice electrician initially wondered if he had pneumonia, but soon rushed to a nearby emergency room to have his vitals checked, as the pain worsened over the course of the day.

Fitness fanatic Sean Tobin had to cut off part of his previously ‘healthy’ lung at just 20 years old after horrifying photos revealed it was full of black spots – which he blames on vaiping

Disturbing photos taken with an endoscope prior to surgery show the surface of Sean’s lung is covered in black spots, which he claims are carbon deposits caused by heavy vaping over the past five years

The vaper claims he was terrified when doctors confirmed that the X-ray showed his right lung had collapsed.

Sean was transported to Concord Hospital, Concord, New Hampshire, where doctors made an incision between his ribs and inserted a chest tube in an attempt to force out the trapped air that was crushing his lungs and chest.

After the lung failed to heal naturally after two days, Sean underwent a grueling surgery in which surgeons cut off a small portion of the top of his lung and stitched it back together.

The affected organ was then glued to his chest wall to prevent it from collapsing again.

Disturbing photos taken with an endoscope prior to surgery show the surface of Sean’s lung covered in black spots, which he claims are carbon deposits caused by heavy vaping over the past five years.

The traumatized patient claims doctors were able to confirm that vaping was likely the cause of the collapsed lung, saying seeing pictures of the affected organ was extremely “scary.”

Sean claims the condition came as a surprise as he has always been healthy – he visits the gym up to seven times a week and even trains in mixed martial arts.

The fitness enthusiast believes he “shouldn’t have started vaping” because he was “so healthy” before – and is now angry with himself for damaging his own lungs.

Sean, from Manchester, New Hampshire, said, “I started vaping when I was 15 and the vape never let go of my hand. It was very, very common.

“When I got into the van (for work on July 20), I felt like I pulled a muscle in my back. The tension there was pretty bad.

“I went to the hospital and they X-rayed my lungs. The radiologist read my report and they told me I had a collapsed lung.

“It was really scary because I felt like I had done it to myself. It was years where I just didn’t treat my lungs the way they should be treated.

“After they put the chest tube in my chest, it was two days later and the hole in my lung wasn’t closing, so they decided to do surgery.

“They sanded my chest wall with medical grade sandpaper. They had to make it gooey and tacky so it would stick together.

“Now my lung is glued to my chest wall so it can’t collapse again.

“They put a camera in my chest cavity before surgery and I saw what they said were carbon deposits in the lungs.

“It was scary to watch. As soon as I saw it, I got very angry with myself. I was very sad and thought ‘f*ck I did this to my own lung’.

“My cardio was so good. I was so healthy and I shouldn’t have started vaping.

“I was just very angry with myself and struggling. I had permanently damaged my lungs and I was here because I had done this to my lungs.”

Sean was released from hospital on July 27 and is now awaiting a month-long recovery period before he can enjoy a normal life again.

Although Sean claims doctors said he will likely make a full recovery, the patient admits he is unsure of the long-term effects.

The 20-year-old claims he watched videos of fellow vapers whose lungs had collapsed and thought it would never happen to him as he was in ‘really good shape’.

Sean said, “Now I have to take it really easy for a month and I can’t lift anything that weighs more than 20 pounds.

“I train very consistently for MMA, and that’s my whole life. My job is also physically demanding, so I can’t work either. I just have to sit still, and that sucks.

“I don’t know what long-term effects I’ll have from this, or if my other lung will be okay.

“They told me to make a full recovery, and although I lost part of my lung, it wasn’t much.

“I can never smoke or vape again. It’s a big risk if I do that.

“I am an MMA fighter and was very afraid that I wouldn’t be able to train for that anymore. I am very passionate about it and want to make a living from it one day.

Sean was released from hospital on July 27 and is now awaiting a month-long recovery period before he can enjoy a normal life again.

“I was working out and running and had better cardio than anyone else in my gym. I’m in really good shape, and it still happened to me.

“I remember seeing TikTok videos of a guy with a collapsed lung from vaping, and I was like, ‘That’s not going to happen to me. This guy’s a bum, and I’m not’. And then it happened to me.

“You never think anything is going to happen to you until it happens to you.”

Millions of people are now vaping worldwide, and in the past year a number of cases of lung collapse in young people have been reported that patients say are related to vaping.