A 15-year-old boy had the palm of his hand turned 'inside out' after a vaping accident that saw him lose several fingers.
Aiden Dean Adams, 15, from California, was hospitalised after his parents warned him he wasn't allowed to vape.
Like many parents, they warned him of the health-associated risks, but they never could have predicted what happened to their teenage son.
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His father Robert Dean Adams said that he would often find vapes hidden in his bedroom.
The dad admitted: "I’m not ignorant - he’s a teenager."
One day, when Aidan was walking nearing his home, he realised his device wasn't working properly.
'The palm of his hand was just turned inside out'
In an attempt to get it working to have a hidden smoke before he returned home, he hit it on the ground.
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However, as the teen brought the vape up towards his mouth, the entire thing exploded in his hand.
His dad said: "A big flash is all [Aiden] remembers."
Shrapnel from the vape cut his face as it blew to pieces, leaving his fingers mangled.
The 15-year-old was able to wave down a driver who took him back to his house.
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'Digits were hanging'
Robert said he was in complete shock at the injuries his son had sustained.
He said: "The palm of his hand was just turned inside out. It's the first time I'd ever seen an explosive injury first-hand."
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He added: "There was a lot of soft tissue damage. Digits were hanging. A lot of tissue exposure. You could see bone, fingers, hand, ligaments."
The parents quickly wrapped his hand in a towel while Robert's wife rang an ambulance.
After arriving at the hospital, surgeons worked tirelessly to save what they could of his hand.
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They were able to save his thumb, but part of his middle and index fingers had to be amputated.
Robert emphasised the dangers of vaping - which don't just revolve around health.
He said: "This stuff popped up out of nowhere. I don't remember it ever being advertised to people other than seeing kids with it."
The US Food and Drug Administration has now launched a webpage educating people on how to avoid similar accidents.
It said: "The exact causes of vape fires or explosions are not yet clear, but some evidence suggests that battery-related issues may be a cause."
Mia Williams