The 26-year-old Pennsylvania woman says she only steamed for a year before her lungs collapsed.
Petrea McKeithen was 21 when she covered the habit, she told Fox News Digital in an on-camera interview. (See the video at the top of this article.)
“Everyone warned me about it, but I didn't hear — I hope I did,” she said.
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McKeithen quickly became obsessed with Vaping, mainly because of the flavor.
“It's really, seriously addictive,” she said. “You get hooked on vampire clouds and flavors. It's the theme, it's cool. It's like the rebel type, I think you can say.”
Petrea McKeithen (left) was 21 years old when he first started vaping. A year later, she almost died when both lungs collapsed. (Petrea McKeithen)
About a year later, in September 2022, she suddenly realized she couldn't breathe.
“I was not in the health I used to,” she said. “The only thing that was happening with me in the months leading up to my lung collapse was that I thought I had breathing issues and had asthma.”
But it wasn't asthma, her doctor said – it's her lungs coming out.
“Everyone warned me about it, but I didn't listen.”
A condition called Pneumothorax occurs when air enters the chest cavity and applies pressure to the lungs to partially or completely disintegrates, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
“Primary spontaneous pneumonia, the chest, or folded lung, occurs when there is a hole in the lung where oxygen escapes. This is either the result of an injury or when an empty bed above the lung causes small tears, creating small tears.”
Pneumothorax occurs when air enters the thoracic cavity and causes pressure on the lungs, causing partial or complete disruption. (Petrea McKeithen)
According to experts, in steam, this condition can be caused by “deep and powerful inhalation.”
Johns Hopkins reports young people seeing rashes in their fallen lungs, Campbell said — “And they're reporting vaping rather than smoking.”
“They often strongly encourage them to immediately stop vaping if they want to avoid another lung collapse and surgery in the future,” he added.
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According to Campbell, signs of fallen lungs include sharp chest or shoulder pain, shortness of breath and difficulty breathing.
Lung problems are just one of many health issues related to vaping, he warned. Habits can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke and also increase exposure to harmful heavy metals.
Defeat the odds
McKeithen was in the hospital with life, where she was placed in a medically induced coma state, non-cardiac membrane oxygenation (ECMO), which helped support the heart and lung function.
During her 10 days of coma, McKeschen said she had experienced a fierce nightmare that stuck with her to this day.
Today, McKeithen has an 18 month old son. She describes it as “my whole world.” (Petrea McKeithen)
“They don't feel like dreams or nightmares. They feel like memories,” she told Fox News Digital. “These nightmares were 10 days of death over and over again in the most unbearable and painful ways.”
Doctors told McKeschen's family that she had only a 3% chance of survival, but contrary to the odds, she went through.
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After getting out of the ICU, McKeithen gradually improved after undergoing physical therapy, but now lives with chronic asthma and breathing conditions (e-cigarettes or vaping blood-sucking lung injury), also known as “Vaper's Lung” (Evalis).
“People think that's just coming and going because you're blowing the clouds,” McKeithen said (not in the photo). “But that fluid actually sits on your lungs and actually owns them.” (istock)
“I take medicines every day,” she said. “I have to be really careful with the environment. I check the air quality every day before I leave, and if it's under my comfort zone, I won't leave.”
McKeithen's lungs are particularly vulnerable to all types of respiratory infections.
“I don't know who has the illness so I have to be really careful about who I interact with,” she said.
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“If I get to where it was before, and if I start to breathe less well, I'll have to be admitted to the hospital right away.”
“It's something I have to live with for the rest of my life.”
“My family has serious trauma from watching them fight for my life,” McKeschten, portrayed with his son, told Fox News Digital. (Petrea McKeithen)
Today, McKeithen has an 18 month old son. She describes it as “my whole world.”
“My doctor was really worried because I wasn't supposed to get pregnant,” she said.
“They gave me the option of abortion…but I always wanted to be a mother, so I wanted to pursue pregnancy. That has always been my dream.”
“It's not worth it”
After her near-death experience, McKeschten's mission is to raise awareness of the dangers of vaping, especially for young people.
“Even if you're a minor, you can still get them — and it's really scary,” she said.
“People think it's safer for you than smoking. I thought of it, and I was so wrong. It's really scary.”
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When someone vapes, they're taking liquids, McKeschen said.
“People think it's just coming and going because you're blowing the clouds,” she said. “But that fluid actually sits on your lungs and actually owns them.”
“Watching teenagers vaping breaks my heart.”
Recently, McKeithen said she approached a group of young teenagers when she saw them vaping in the store and shared her experience as a warning story.
“I showed them my photos and I didn't seem to do that,” she said. “I know it's probably not my place, but they were really young so I just wanted to protect them.
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Overall, McKeschen said vaping was simply “not worth it.”
“It's not cool, it's not funny. At the end of the day, when I look back at it, my family has serious trauma from watching them fight for my life.”
