“Forever Grateful To Donor,” Ben Askren Undergoes Permanent Transformation With Double Lung Transplant, With Wife Deeply Appreciative

A double lung transplant was performed on Ben Askren following a sudden illness; wife Amy Askren pens heartfelt message to donor.

“Forever Grateful To Donor,” Ben Askren Undergoes Permanent Transformation With Double Lung Transplant, With Wife Deeply Appreciative

Ben Askren's wife says he received a double lung transplant (Source: X)

Former UFC fighter Ben Askren’s life has taken a massive turn and overhaul for good, and his wife is grateful for the help he has got for it. Ben Askren had been struggling with a severe bout of pneumonia for weeks at an end, wife Amy Askren had posted. The discourse left him hospitalized for weeks, and there was not much positive outcome, up until recently.

While Ben Askren doesn’t fight actively anymore, the Olympic wrestler does hit the ground in a coaching capacity. From 2004 to 2007, Askren was a four-year starter at 174 lbs for the University of Missouri. He then spent four years as a college coach before moving back to Wisconsin for a coaching stint at Roufusport MMA. ‘Funky’ has had his part in Intermat Milwaukee Youth Wrestling as well.

More notably, he also coached a select few UFC/MMA talents, including Mayce Barber; Barber’s recent IG stories and Threads about Askren recovering well had even caused some confusion, until it was cleared up.

So …with the nature of his contact sport wrestling, Ben Askren contracted Staph and then pneumonia. In emotional Facebook posts, Amy Askren kept giving updates that the fighter was in need of a double lung transplant, one of the costliest stateside clinical procedures.

He was on a ventilator and ECMO for a little while, but was barely responding. The lung transplant he needs to fully recover will not be covered by his insurance, as has recently been corroborated. FloWrestling’s Mark Bader provided the upsetting update this June. However, Askren’s wife has said he finally got a double transplant, at long last:

We are so thankful to share that Ben has received a double lung transplant. We are forever thankful to the donor and his family. This is the beginning of a new lifestyle for Ben, but every new day he has is a gift. It still doesn’t feel real that he was walking around completely healthy just 5 weeks ago…So much can change so quickly. Please keep Ben in your prayers that his body welcomes the new lungs as if they were his own.

Amy Askren via a Facebook Post

The news offers fight fans, friends, and family—who have rallied around the athlete since his unexpected health crisis began five weeks ago—a glimmer of hope. At the onset of June, Askren’s family divulged that he was in dire need of a lung transplant that was not encompassed by his medical insurance. The procedure carries a hefty price tag ranging from $300,000 to $400,000, per United Healthcare Insurances (uhc.com), and Askren and his family were left to bear the load of it.

Amy Askren’s update also reflected on the swift change in their lives. She expressed profound gratitude as Ben’s body took to the new organs. Amy is optimistic that the former Bellator and ONE FC champion and welterweight star will be able to share his own updates soon after he recovers further.

More on Ben Askren’s ailment

Askren, 40, was admitted to the hospital weeks ago with a severe case of pneumonia. Ben Askren’s spouse divulged the information on June 7. As of June 17, his sedation and use of a ventilator were in effect.

Before hospitalization and lifestyle change, Ben Askren was subject to Healthcare System hazards
Before hospitalization and lifestyle change, Ben Askren was subject to Healthcare System hazards (Source: X)

Team Roufusport MMA’s ‘Funky,’ made famous with a highly publicized UFC-ONE trade-off, is more than just a fan-favorite. As the news broke, it was a magnet to a multitude of responses from wrestling peers, fellow podcaster and Olympian wrestler Daniel Cormier, his UFC peers, and so on.

The UFC’s June 14 simulticast schedule for UFC Fight Night: Usman vs. Buckley (State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA) included a media segment that wished Askren well. Jake Paul, who had quite a bitter feud with Ben Askren, also used up his post-fight mic time to wish him well in this life-changing situation.

A T-shirt fundraiser has been initiated to assist with Askren’s medical expenses and his widespread endeavor to support high-level athletes. A verified non-profit fund is in place, where fans can donate via Help Hope Live.

Problem Child Paul also lambasted the healthcare system as a ‘scam’ for former foe Askren, lingering on despite being on the transplant list. Very recently, ex-UFC HW Jon Jones partnered up with the exclusive ‘#Power to the Patients’ so that fighters and vets, and even the general populous can look into U.S. healthcare without dubious medical debts, insurance, and wait lists.

Askren took his out from MMA in 2019, only to lace up on a one-off boxing bout against Paul in 2021. Amateur wrestling legend and one of the most accomplished wrestlers in U.S. history, Askren, continues to play an active role in the wrestling community. He recently got involved in an active role in Hulk Hogan’s Real American Freestyle.

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