{"id":193939,"date":"2023-09-21T07:09:30","date_gmt":"2023-09-21T07:09:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tokenstalk.info\/?p=193939"},"modified":"2023-09-21T07:09:30","modified_gmt":"2023-09-21T07:09:30","slug":"dad-who-started-smoking-aged-9-unable-to-walk-as-both-lungs-start-shutting-down","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tokenstalk.info\/world-news\/dad-who-started-smoking-aged-9-unable-to-walk-as-both-lungs-start-shutting-down\/","title":{"rendered":"Dad who started smoking aged 9 unable to walk as both lungs start shutting down"},"content":{"rendered":"
A bloke who started smoking at age nine and whose habit saw him go through 20 cigs a day was left unable to walk when his lungs started shutting down.<\/p>\n
Daniel Doherty, 38, was in Aston Villa's academy as a young child and when he was unable to get transport to the club's training ground, he had to stop \u2013<\/b> and then the smoking habit escalated. Now a father of five, Daniel is recovering from a 13-hour operation that 'saved his life' and got him out of a wheelchair.<\/p>\n
Daniel's habit caused breathing problems, including Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and type 2 respiratory failure, which left him unable to walk. He became so ill he feared for his life. <\/p>\n
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But things are looking up since the grandfather underwent a double lung transplant, of which less than one 100 are carried out each year.<\/p>\n
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The former warehouse worker had spent years in and out of Walsall Manor Hospital as he underwent a tracheostomy, had treatment for COPD, respiratory failure and his addiction. <\/p>\n
Staff referred the dad to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Selly Oak, Birmingham, for the double lung transplant after Daniel was on a waiting list. It was finally performed on May 30 this year.<\/p>\n
Speaking from his home in Walsall, West Midlands, Daniel told the Mirror: "I understand why people smoke because it\u2019s an addiction and I\u2019ve been there, but if people had been in my position having had two comas, a tracheostomy and not being able to breathe, they might think differently. <\/p>\n
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"Unfortunately, you can\u2019t see the terrible damage you\u2019re doing to your body by smoking."<\/p>\n
By the time Daniel had his crucial operation, he had given up smoking altogether. Now, although he doesn't know the donor, he'd like to thank the man – a non-smoker from Newcastle – for saving his life. <\/p>\n
The ex warehouse operative continued: "Before my operation, I didn\u2019t enough know about the possibility of a transplant and thought I was going to die. I was a right mess. I don\u2019t know the donor but I\u2019d like to write him a letter of thanks because he saved my life… By the time I had my transplant I couldn\u2019t bear to be near smoke \u2013 I\u2019d have to cover my face when I was near it."<\/p>\n
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