'I tried to impress boyfriend by vaping - and ended up hours from death' (2025)

Love-struck Isabella Troncao, then 15, from Las Vegas, Nevada, had been introduced to vapes by her new boyfriend, but found herself overusing them to impress him

A teen desperate to impress her boyfriend by vaping was struck down with sepsis and needed a litre of liquid drained from her lung - leaving her 'hours from death'. Isabella Troncao was introduced to nicotine vapes by her new fella and started using them 'a lot' in a bid to impress him, but just seven days later she started to feel ill.

The then 15-year-old struggled with what she assumed was simply a sore throat for two weeks before going to her doctor who reportedly told her she had the flu and to rest. But days later when Isabella was unable to walk, struggling to breathe and felt she had a "crushing weight on her chest", she was rushed to hospital where doctors said she was in septic shock.

The student, who smoked legal marijuana vapes for 18 months before starting nicotine ones, was diagnosed with bacterial infection Lemierre's Syndrome and was told she was 'hours from death'. Isabella had surgery to drain a litre of liquid from her lung and stayed in hospital for a month due to blood clots in her throat, lung and left arm.

Now 18 months on from her ordeal, the 16-year-old is sharing what happened to urge people not to vape to avoid the same fate. Isabella, from Las Vegas, Nevada, US, said: "I started dating this guy and he introduced me to nicotine vapes.

"I vaped a lot, it was a social thing and to impress the guy I was with. They would make my throat burn and I got sick within a week.

"It felt like there was a 50lb weight on the left side of my chest. I was in so much pain, it was like I wanted to breathe but I couldn't take a full breath in.

"I couldn't get up to go to the bathroom and I couldn't stay awake. My mum and my brother tried to get me to the car because I couldn't walk.

"Me and my mum realised there must be something bad going on when I was seen straight away in the ER. They drew my blood and it didn't take long for them to tell my mum I was in septic shock. It had spread all over my body, which was shutting down.

"They told me that if I had come in a few hours later that day I would have died, I was definitely close to death so that's crazy to think about." Isabella was admitted to St. Rose Dominican Hospital in Henderson, Nevada, in October 2023 where doctors told her the vaping had likely contributed to the bacteria build-up in her body.

Isabella said: "They did surgery and removed one litre of fluid from my lung. They [doctors] said vaping had definitely contributed to the bacteria build-up in the back of my throat."

Isabella's mum Francesca Lombardo said she thought her daughter just had a sore throat and wasn't aware she was vaping. Francesca, 44, said: "It was horrible, I was with her every night in hospital.

"The worst feeling was having someone say they don't know if she's going to make it, that was really hard. She got sick and we just thought it was a sore throat. I found the vape in her pocket and she was too scared to tell me where she got it from.

"She was dating a new boy and she was smoking with him, it's hard because I blame myself too. We all do stupid things but they're marketing these vapes with fruity flavours and fancy colours - they're worse than cigarettes.

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, she is a survivor and I just couldn't be more proud as a mum." Now Isabella, who no longer dates the guy she was trying to impress, is urging people to quit vaping, to avoid the same fate.

Isabella said: "Nobody should vape, it's a strain on your lungs and it's making lots of people sick. I felt like it was a sign of God that I was meant to stay on this earth for a reason. It's crazy to think I would have missed it in that small time window. It definitely feels like I've been given a second chance at life."

Lemierre's Syndrome occurs when you get a certain rare type of bacterial infection in your throat. When it's not treated, the infection can spread to the vessels that carry lymph fluid throughout your body. If it's not treated, it can cause serious or life-threatening complications.