Vape mum Annie Donovan apologises for forcing baby to inhale in viral video she says was ‘just a joke’

It was the video that shocked the nation — a young mother putting a vape to the mouth of her 11-month-old son and forcing him to inhale.

The chilling sound of him coughing and struggling to breathe in the moments afterwards sent the footage viral and prompted authorities to investigate.

Now the boy’s young mother has spoken out, saying the act was “just a joke”.

Annie Donovan, 16, told The Daily Telegraph she was sorry for putting her son LeBron in danger and she had learned “a massive lesson”.

She said she did it as a silly joke in front of friends and did not realise she was being secretly filmed.

“It was just a silly joke. I put the vape up near him and I never thought he would grab it, I thought he‘d push it away,” Ms Donovan said.

“I’d never done it before...I don’t even smoke near him. I’m always careful of that stuff.”

The video was posted to social media sparking a torrent of abuse, including numerous death threats and harassment, and many calls for the baby to be removed from her care. Ms Donovan admited the past week had been the worst of her life.

Last week, she hit back at the trolls on social media, writing: “Every c*** got the hide to sit there and talk about me and my child, take a look in yas own backyard.”

“You ain’t perfect either so keep that mouth going you ain’t scary, you’re nothing but bums.”

But it is not just on social media she has faced backlash, her own family labelled her actions “putrid”.

“It’s honestly putrid. Like I will not say that it’s not because it is,” a family member told 7NEWS on Thursday.

“I removed my nephew from that situation.”

Another family member said the video “made me sick”, but that the young mum was “trying her best”.

“It was just a stupid mistake that she made with a bunch of friends,” she said.

NSW police said officers went to the baby’s house on Wednesday after a “concern-for-welfare report”.

However, Ms Donovan had already fled interstate with her son.

Police said no charges would be laid against the mother, but they are believed to be investigating the death threats.

“Police have now spoken with the child’s family and — following advice provided by medical professionals and other governmental agencies — no further police action will be taken,” a spokesperson said.