Ben Askren has finally been released from the hospital after a brutal two-month battle for his life. The retired UFC welterweight revealed that he’s now home, following a rare double lung transplant prompted by a severe case of pneumonia that left him comatose and fighting for survival.
“Day 59, I’m out! With my beautiful wife, supportive,” Askren shared in a heartfelt update on social media. “That was a long journey, and it’s not over because I still can’t really walk. I have to re-teach myself to do that, among many other things. I guess I can make light of it because it was me and I don’t really remember it.”
Askren’s condition had grown so dire that doctors had to act quickly to secure donor lungs and carry out the complex transplant. His wife Amy stood by his side throughout, recalling just how close they came to losing him.
“Too close,” she said when Askren asked how many times he nearly died. “A few times, you nearly died.”
The surgery gave Askren a fighting chance, and after weeks of monitoring, the former Olympian and MMA star has now left the hospital still facing a long road ahead but grateful to be alive.
In his emotional message, Ben Askren released a wave of appreciation for the overwhelming support he and his family received during the ordeal.
“I said this already in one of the videos, but the support you guys gave me, whether it was setting up a GoFundMe or helping my kids and wife get through it, I had friends come from all over the country just to hang out for a couple of days. It meant so much,” Askren said. “It was so great to have all the support and all the love.”
Askren admitted he doesn’t remember about 35 days of the entire experience but says the encouragement he received, both online and in person, helped him push through.
“Hopefully I’m not in this situation again for a really, really, really long time,” he added. “I plan on living for a while. Thank you again for all the support, the comments online, everything, it means so much.”
