North Dakota
22-year-old gets double lung transplant after hospitalization resulted from years of heavy vaping
A North Dakota man was given a 1% chance of survival after being hospitalized and put on life support while in need of a double lung transplant as his oxygen levels dropped after years of heavy vaping.
Jackson Allard, 22, went to a clinic in October after complaining about stomach aches and was admitted because of low oxygen levels, where he was diagnosed with Influenza 4 and double pneumonia, while his condition worsened, and was subsequently transferred to the University of Minnesota, according to a GoFundMe page.
“A doctor said he had a 1% chance of living and we said, ‘He’s fighting,’” Allard’s grandmother Doreen Hurlburt told Valley News Live.
After being admitted into the hospital, Allard’s condition declined so dramatically that doctors decided to put the Fargo native on life support to rest his body, according to the Wahpeton Daily News.
Hurlburt says her grandson developed his symptoms from his terrible habit of vaping, which at one point got so bad during his three-month hospital stay that his heart stopped beating, leading to doctors giving a poor prognosis.
“He’s fought for how many weeks we’re going to give him a chance to fight, we’re not going to stop any procedures or anything’.”
Hurlburt says she told Allard to quit vaping as experts had earlier deemed it to be worse than traditional smoking methods.
“You have to stop vaping, and we kept telling him that over and over and over again, and he was a heavy vaper. He vaped all the time,” Hurlburt said.
Allard, who was described as “friendly, outgoing, energetic and fun” responded to his family criticism with, “It’s better than cigarettes.”
His grandmother countered his argument with “well they said, with cigarettes in 50 years you’ll have lung cancer, in 5 years, if you vape they will see you with permanent lung damage.”
The US Food and Drug Administration and other health experts agree that electronic cigarettes are far less dangerous than traditional ones, but some are calling for a surgeon general’s report that could help clear the air of the health risks of the modern smoking trend.
“There have been so many confusing messages about vaping,” Lawrence Gostin, a public health law expert at Georgetown University recently said. “A surgeon general’s report could clear that all up.”
While sitting alongside the hospital bed, Hurlburt feared she would lose her grandson.
“I thought for sure we were going to lose him. I thought for sure he’s not going to survive this, but in my mind I kept picturing him coming home,” she told KVLY-TV.
While the double lung transplant saved Allard on January 1, his life will forever be changed, in both the short and long-term aspects.
The former vaper and his mother will have to stay in Minnesota for the next six months for his regular checkups.
Allard can also never smoke or drink again and will eventually need another transplant later in life.
In a similar heartbreaking scenario, doctors used breast implants to save a Missouri man who needed a double lung transplant after his organs began to shut down after a decade of heavy vaping.
Davey Bauer was saved last May after going into cardiac arrest, with doctors’ only option being to remove the damaged lungs and place breast implants into his chest cavity to keep his heart from shifting out of place.
Submitted Photo
U.S. soldiers with the Nebraska and North Dakota National Guards, assigned to Joint Task Force-District of Columbia in support of the DC Safe and Beautiful mission, pose for a group photo at a hotel in Alexandria, Virginia, April 28. N.D. National Guard 2nd Lt. Caleb Hill, front row, far left, served as the officer in charge of the mission when soldiers assigned to JTF-DC responded to the shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner April 25. About 2,500 National Guard members are supporting the DC Safe and Beautiful mission, providing critical assistance to the Metropolitan Police Department to help ensure the safety of residents, commuters and visitors throughout the District. U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Thomas Norris.
WASHINGTON – U.S. soldiers with the North Dakota, Arkansas and Nebraska Army National Guard, assigned to Joint Task Force-District of Columbia in support of the DC Safe and Beautiful mission, responded to a shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner (WHCAD) at the Washington Hilton in Northwest Washington April 25.
The Guardsmen were at the WHCAD at the request of the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) as an additional patrol unit created specifically for the event, which celebrates the contribution of news organizations and independent journalists alike who provide notable coverage relating to the presidential administration.
“Our mission was to assist the U.S. Secret Service with crowd control,” said Capt. Kevin Peatrowsky, an operations officer with the Nebraska National Guard (NENG) assigned to JTF-DC.
As the Guardsmen were monitoring their area of operations, they saw USSS agents sprint toward the hotel entrance.
“They were running full speed with their weapons drawn,” said Sgt. 1st. Class Allen Haney, a team member with the Arkansas National Guard. “We immediately followed suit.”
Staff Sgt. Kirsten Confer, a NENG combat medic and battle captain, recalled her response to the incident: “We fell back on our basic training. You run toward danger and move in a way that makes sense for the situation.”
According to Confer, the Guardsmen entered the hotel and immediately began securing the scene and ensured that the guests evacuated safely. At the direction of a federal agent, Confer began a rapid trauma assessment on the suspect which resulted in finding knives and ammunition on the shooter. Simultaneously, the Arkansas soldiers moved outside to provide crowd control at a pedestrian barricade outside the hotel.
“From there, we assisted wherever we could,” said 2nd Lt. Caleb Hill, a National Guardsman from North Dakota who served as the officer in charge for the mission. “We were initially helping with crowd control. After that, we realized that the USSS had begun rerouting everyone in the hotel, so we moved to the doors. We were controlling entry into the venue, so we had moved a couple more people outside, so we had five inside, eight outside.” Both Arkansas and Nebraska worked well alongside one another and, alongside the federal agencies. Hill also noted that relying on his soldiers allowed him to move to different teams, which helped allow him to plan and coordinate with different agencies.
According to 1st Lt. Jonathan Goins, a platoon leader with the Arkansas National Guard, Arkansas soldiers also helped establish a security perimeter for the staging of the presidential motorcade. Later, the team assisted federal agencies and MPD with crowd control, which helped clear the way for the president and administration officials, he said.
“Guardsmen on this mission represent the very best of the nation,” said U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Leland Blanchard II, the interim commanding general of the District of Columbia National Guard. “The world got a brief glimpse, but I see them each day serving and doing amazing things across the District.”
FARGO, N.D. (KELO) — The Sioux Falls Stampede staved off elimination with a 2-1 overtime win over the Fargo Force in game four of the USHL Western Conference Finals Saturday night.
Thomas Zocco scored the game-winner 12 minutes into the extra period. Arseni Marchenko put Fargo on the board first in the first period. Noah Mannausau tied the game for the Herd in the second period.
Sioux Falls outshot Fargo 53-49, including 9-5 in overtime. Linards Feldbergs made 48 saves.
Three of the four games of the series have gone to overtime. The winner-take-all game five is Tuesday at the Premier Center.
New ballot measure guide to be mailed to North Dakota voters ahead of election
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