A mum claims her teenage son 'almost died' after inhaling laughing gas at Parklife festival. Alex Littler, 16, was rushed to hospital last weekend with a burst lung after complaining of breathlessness.
The youngster told doctors his chest felt like 'popping bubble wrap' when touched and confessed to them and his devastated mum that he'd inhaled nitrous oxide whilst at the festival in Heaton Park.
He was diagnosed with a ruptured and leaking lung and told he was lucky to be alive. But medics warned he may need surgery to remove air that was trapped around his lungs and heart.
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His mum, Cathy Mccann, 44, has describe the ordeal as "terrifying" and said that Alex has vowed never to inhale balloons again, admitting he didn't know the potential dangers.
Cathy, from Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, said: "He's said it's the worst thing he could have done. He didn't realise himself what the dangers were and he did it because all his mates were doing it."
The beauty therapist came home from work last Monday (13 June) night to find her son in bed. When she asked Alex what was wrong he told her his chest felt "tight" and that he felt breathless.
"When I pressed on his chest it was like bubble wrap, he was in pain and his neck was swollen. You only had to press it a tiny bit and it was crackling and crunching," she said.
"I panicked and dialled 111. They said to take him straight to hospital. The doctor listened to his chest and felt the popping. I'm panicking, they're asking questions, about whether he's had injuries, been squashed in a crowd, been weightlifting or done anything that could have caused the damage.
"He said no to all of those so they told him to be honest and asked what he'd taken because we said he'd been to Parklife. He just came out with it and said he had balloons there and I burst into tears. I couldn't believe it, he said he hadn't had anything.
"It upsets me thinking about it, it's horrible. It could have been fatal. It could have killed him. His lung has got a hole in it. The gases can affect on your spinal chord, go to your brain and deaden your brain. I was beside myself because I didn't know the full facts about these gases. He was petrified."
Alex claims he's tried the drug before but has promised his mum that he and his friends wouldn't touch it again. Doctors found his lung had been leaking and started to repair itself leaving air trapped around his lungs and heart.
Luckily, an oxygen mask that was left on overnight managed to remove the trapped air without Alex having to undergo an operation.
"His friends are devastated, they've been on the phone constantly, putting posts on snapchats saying they don't want to see anyone doing balloons," Cathy added.
"I don't think half of them knew the depths of what they can do. He's been told by doctors, if he does it again, he'll be back in hospital because he has a weak spot on his lungs now.
"It's a danger because if it hadn't repaired itself it's going to make a bigger hole and it would have been fatal. He would have ended up dead or paralysed or brain dead.
"The doctor said he was so lucky. He won't be doing it again. They said instead of surgery, they would try an oxygen mask to release the air through that. All that popping had gone by the morning. It was such a relief. He's feeling loads better.
"He's not in trouble because it's been that much of an ordeal, he's learnt a big massive lesson so I didn't need to say anything to him."
Cathy and Alex are sharing their story to warn against the dangers of the party drug. She said: "You can buy it over the counter. I don't think parents know the concept and what they are because some people think they are just party balloons.
"No one knows the depth and consequences. 16-year-olds are dying, people have messaged me saying their son died. I want to put it out there, the dangers of it for parents as well not just the kids. They don't know what's happening, it's happening under everyone's noses."
On 15th June, Greater Manchester Police Bury South shared images of industrial bins filled with kilos of nitrous oxide cannisters that had been seized by officers around Parklife festival.
Police wrote: "One of our public promises is to prevent and reduce crime. So, as part of our community operation for Bury South, Parklife festival officers seized several kilos of nitrous oxide."
The sale of nitrous oxide for its psychoactive effects was made illegal after the Psychoactive Substances Act in 2016, but it is not currently a crime to be caught in possession of the drug.
Parklife were contacted for comment.
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