At just 17, Brianne Cullen never thought vaping could change her life forever. What started as a quiet way to ease school anxiety became a daily habit — one that nearly stole her breath for good.

Her mom, Christie Martin, remembers the day the call came. “She kept saying, ‘I can’t breathe.’ It was the scariest thing,” she said. Rushing her daughter to the ER, doctors delivered a diagnosis no parent expects — “popcorn lung”, an incurable condition that scars the lungs’ smallest airways and makes every breath a struggle.

Doctors say the illness, once linked to microwave popcorn workers inhaling flavoring chemicals, is now appearing in young people who vape. “We don’t know the long-term effects,” Christie added softly. “But I know we caught it just in time.”

Now, months later, Brianne has quit vaping. Her mother is urging others to speak up, not shame parents or kids.

Because behind every vape ad or “harmless puff,” there’s a real story — and sometimes, a lifelong breath that never feels the same again.