Alex's Story

Winna, Florida

My name is Winna Morrin, and I’m the mother of three amazing young men. We live in the Tampa Bay Area in Florida. I would like to tell my youngest son’s story. His name is Alex, and it all started when he was 16 years old (he’s now 18). One January morning as he was getting ready to go play basketball with friends, we heard thumping noises coming from his bedroom. I went in to see what was going on, and found him on the floor having a grand mal seizure. He was turning blue and foaming at the mouth. I screamed for my husband to call 911. The paramedics came and Alex finally started coming to. They handed me a nicotine vape that was under his body. When we got to the hospital he was admitted for observation and testing. He had an EEG, bloodwork, MRI, CT Scan among many other tests. Everything came back normal, thank goodness. He was put on seizure medication called Keppra. Keppra makes you very drowsy, causes extreme mood swings along with many other side effects. He had to take them once in the morning and once in the evening. Can you imagine taking something that is like a tranquilizer and then having to go to school??? It was terrible, but Alex powered through.

He went nearly 11 months with no seizures, but then in November when we were staying in a condo for Thanksgiving week, I heard my husband shouting that he was having another seizure. Another 911 call, and the paramedics handed me the nicotine vape that was once again found underneath his body. He had been playing video games all night and vaping, vaping, vaping. More tests, all normal again.

Fast forward to that following January, another night of staying up late with video games and vaping at home. I found Alex on the floor of his room. He must have had a seizure because he bites his tongue badly every time and loses control of his bodily functions. I had him lay on the couch to keep an eye on him. Two hours later, he had another seizure. I had to call 911. Guess what the paramedics handed me??? His nicotine vape! His Keppra meds were increased, and now he was changed to the extended release version that he takes nightly.

In March, we went to Alabama to visit his brother Matt at college. They had a couple of late nights, and when we were on the way to the airport from Tuscaloosa to Birmingham, Alex was vaping under a blanket in the car. Over and over and over. I knew it because I could smell the sickly sweet smell that happens when vaping. ON THE PLANE he had a grand mal seizure. I had to call for help over the intercom. He bit his tongue so badly that blood was coming from his mouth. The paramedics got him stable and we headed home. Two hours later, another seizure and we had to call 911 and get him to the hospital. The paramedics HANDED ME HIS VAPE from under his body once again.

Our neurologist says to look for the common denominators when a seizure happens. VAPE VAPE VAPE VAPE. There is no doubt in my mind that vape is the major cause of Alex’s seizures. I tried filing a complaint with the FDA, and the form was so extensive. After about an hour of trying to fill out the online form, they gave an “error” and I was kicked off the system. So frustrating! Countless times, we combed through everything in his room and got rid of hundreds of empty vapes. We tried disciplining him, grounding him, tried educating him on the dangers of the vape that he was putting into his body. His neurologist compared coming off nicotine vape with trying to get off of heroin. It’s the most addicting substance on the planet. How is a CHILD supposed to handle that?

So now our son is stuck on anti seizure meds that have TERRIBLE side effects for many years to come, if not the rest of his life. Nicotine vape has destroyed our family and our son’s life. If I can reach just one family with our story, it will all be worth it. If we can help prevent someone going through what our son has gone through, it will be worth it.