Ben Askren, Former MMA Champion, Evaluates Lung Transplant
Former MMA champion and amateur wrestler Ben Askren is being evaluated for a possible lung transplant, according to his wife. Askren, 40, remains hospitalized in his home state of Wisconsin due to severe pneumonia. According to Amy, his wife, he is connected to a ventilator and ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation), but has managed to open his eyes and squeeze hands.Amy also expressed her hope for a miraculous recovery of Ben’s current lungs, although the evaluation process for a transplant is beginning. She requested prayers for his continued improvement and, in case a transplant is necessary, that he may be placed on the list quickly and easily. Askren, who developed his entire professional career in Hartland, Wisconsin, runs a wrestling academy in the area. He retired from MMA in 2019 and was a two-time NCAA Division I wrestling champion and a member of the 2008 U.S. Olympic team. Ben and Amy have three children. Amy thanked the messages and the support received, feeling blessed by the community around them despite the difficult situation. Finally, she advised everyone to embrace their loved ones and be prepared for similar situations, highlighting that Ben is the healthiest person she knows and that she never expected something like this.“I haven’t shared an update because Ben has been in a state of uncertainty for a while and I was hoping he would wake up and be the one to decide what to share,” Amy wrote on Facebook.
Amy, wife of Ben Askren
