As the rise in vaping related lung illnesses continues, one North Texas man is warning about the other dangers of vaping.
Abrahim Abdelkarim, of Allen, said he's lucky he's now able to walk pain-free months after the unexpected happened in a store parking lot.
"I was on the phone at the time and I just felt something get really hot and I heard a crackle and a pop. Some smoke came out of my jeans!" said Abdelkarim.
The batteries for his e-cigarette exploded in his pocket, causing third degree burns on his thigh. His hands were severely burned from when he reached for the batteries. "You always hear about this type of stuff on the news. You never expect it to happen to you," said Abdelkarim.
In February of this year, a Fort Worth man died after the electronic cigarette he was using exploded, cutting a major artery in his neck.
Doctors say they've seen an increase in injuries inside their emergency departments.
"The injuries are very severe and very deep. A lot of times, they're on the thighs because they go off in the pocket when it comes in contact with coins or car keys. It can short the batteries and then you use your hands to put out to the fire, so you can have devastating burns to thighs and hands because you're putting the fire out," said Director of Burn Services at Medical City Plano Jennifer Rosenthal.
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It took Abdelkarim six weeks and several skin graft surgeries to recover from the burns, but the scars are visible.
The University of Texas at Dallas student said while he's now able to return to his studies, he's already learned an important lesson.
"I don't think I would have been able to quit vaping if a battery hadn't exploded on me because of how addicting that stuff really is."
