A HEARTBROKEN widow is sharing photos of her late wife in order to warn others of the dangers of vaping.
Eight years ago, Amanda Lee Hall would puff on half a pack of cigarettes a day.
But in 2014, she decided to switch to e-cigarettes in order to be 'healthier'.
The 44-year-old would use the device so often that her wife Kristen Hensley would say there was a 'fruity cloud' wherever she went.
In autumn 2019, less than five years after she started vaping, the warehouse worker became unwell.
She struggled to breathe and was put in a coma, a year and a half later, Amanda was dead.
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Her widow Kristen has now urged anyone who vapes to stop, as she doesn't want anyone to go through what Amanda did.
She said: "It's killing people. I have had several people say they thought the warnings about vaping were simply propaganda from the tobacco companies to get people to start smoking again. This is not true."
The NHS suggests people who smoke try vaping in order to cut down on their smoking habit.
A review previously conducted by Public Health England found that the devices are 95 per cent less harmful than tobacco products.
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But just a month ago, the Government's chief medical officer, Chris Whitty, said Britain must crack down in the rise in children using the products.
He said that while 'vaping has an important role in helping smokers who are addicted to come off smoking', it shouldn't be marketed to children.
And various studies have found health risks associated with the products, including a risk of miscarriage, depression and lung damage,
Kristen revealed that her wife had first started smoking when she was 14, and continued for the next 22 years.
The most she smoked was ten cigarettes a day.
She finally chose to stub it out and switch to vapes after her father, a lifelong smoker, was diagnosed with a terminal lung condition.
At first Amanda had no issues, but within five years, she started to experience vomiting and cold-like symptoms.
She also lost over 4st over the course of five months.
In September 2019, she was rushed to hospital but was sent home with a diagnosis of bronchitis and antibiotics.
Four days later, medics then confirmed her lungs were shutting down and doctors believed vaping was the cause of damage to her lungs.
She remained in hospital to receive high-flow oxygen but tragically, soon after, required a ventilator and was put into a medically-induced coma and later on life support.
Sadly, in February 2020, she suffered another set-back, where she was diagnosed with double pneumonia, before being admitted to hospital for the fourth and final time in December.
The horrific ordeal happened over just one-and-a-half years.
Speaking about the ordeal, Kristen said: “I was so scared, especially as I had no idea how sick she was because she had been bravely acting like it was just a cold.
“I completely believed her lungs would heal from the vaping injury and she would be healthy again – but I was wrong.
“I was told there was no meaningful chance of improvement and that it was unlikely she would ever be able to survive without the ventilator, especially as her stats wouldn’t improve – where they told me to say my goodbyes.
“I was able to talk to her and hold her hand while she was dying, until she closed her eyes and took her last breath.”
Since Amanda's death, her family are struggling with her loss, and Kristen has been left with mounting hospital bills.
In order to help pay for the treatment her late wife had, Kristen has started a GoFundMe page, with the aim of raising £4072.15, ($5,000).
While it’s not officially on Amanda’s medical records that the initial lung injury was due to vaping, the 44-year-old claims doctors advised this was the most likely cause.
Now, Kristen hopes sharing her wife’s story will encourage others to stop vaping and prevent other families from going through this turmoil.
She added: “I have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder [because of this] and I don’t sleep well due to nightmares or I wake myself up crying – it’s been very difficult.
“She was the first woman I went out with and I was terrified at first, but I had so much fun with her.
“She put me at ease, made me laugh and was just so adorable.
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“Life isn’t the same without her, but my love for Amanda will always stay alive – she was my everything and so much more.
"I hope my wife's story will help others who are trying to deter this deadly habit and hopefully avoid the same devastating fate we've all suffered."
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