This rare disease is now linked to vaping…See more

“The first few weeks in the hospital were very difficult mentally, because I didn’t know where I was. I couldn’t walk, talk or eat,” he says.

When he woke up from the coma, James didn’t remember his 23-year-old partner Charlotte or their seven-month-old daughter, Harper-Mai. He describes this time as extremely scary, realizing the extent of the damage caused by his vaping habit.

James now has a mission: to educate others about the dangers of Puffs. “Read carefully what you inhale before you do it,” he advises. “Don’t think that your age protects you. I’m only 20 years old and I almost lost my life.”

He decided to take part in a charity boxing match to raise money for Cancer Research UK, starting an intensive eight-week training session. “I’ve never done anything like this before, but I thought, ‘Why not give it a try?’ If I do everything right and take care of my body, then I should be fine.”

His family has been a pillar of support during this ordeal. His parents and partner helped him through the darkest moments of his hospitalization and rehabilitation. “It was very mentally taxing, but I’m lucky to have had their support all the time,” James says.