The family of a B.C. teenager whose death was believed to be connected to vaping has now learned it did not play a role.
A coroner’s report released Tuesday revealed 14-year-old Kyle Losse’s death back in January was instead the result of a stroke.
“We were told that it was very rare -- really uncommon -- for a boy of this age to have a stroke like this,” Niki Losse, Kyle’s mother, told CTV Vancouver.
On Jan. 21, Losse collapsed next to a vape device while getting ready for bed. He was rushed to the Delta Hospital, where doctors determined he experienced a reaction to the vaporizer and released him.
Hours later, Losse’s condition deteriorated significantly and he was rushed to a different hospital where a CT scan revealed the boy had severe brain damage. He was taken off life support the next day.
On Tuesday, a coroner’s report revealed the boy died from decreased blood flow to the back of his brain and subsequent pressure placed on the brain stem. The report concludes that Losse ultimately died of natural causes.
“There is no indication that the e-vaping device contributed to the cause of death,” the report states.
Losse’s family now believes the vape device may have led doctors to a misdiagnosis and an early discharge from the hospital.
"They just thought he was having an overdose of some sort," said Brian Losse, Kyle’s father. "They could have done an MRI or a different scan of his brain. They just let us walk out the door with this going on in his head.”
The family wants Fraser Health, the organization that operates the Delta Hospital, to investigate the case and see if the boy’s treatment was appropriate.
"I think they need to be more thorough in the care they're providing," Niki said. "Maybe other hospitals can learn from this.”
In a statement, Fraser Health says it received the coroner’s report and noted it does not offer a single recommendation in terms of care.
With a report from CTV Vancouver's Shannon Paterson
