AKRON, Ohio — After a life changing diagnosis in July of 2020, things took a turn for the worse for Ron Ross, battling end stage lung disease due to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
"It was hard walking up the steps was like running a marathon, prior to that I was a runner, I ran everyday," Ron said. "I was on 18 liters of oxygen so I was barely breathing, I ended up in the hospital."
He was taken by life flight to University Hospitals main campus in April of this year after his lungs gave out.
"He progressed very fast, from diagnosis to transplant it was actually 22 months," Ron's wife Ann Ross said.
Ron's grim diagnosis was met with a miracle after a donor matched and he was able to have double lung transplant, all within a few days.
"In Ron's case unfortunately his disease progressed, and he went downhill very quickly and so he ended up in our ICU, subsequently was evaluated for lung transplant, was listed for lung transplant was placed on cardiopulmonary support with ECMO and then thankfully within in the span of five days was able to have an offer for a lung transplant and then was transplanted on April 22nd and also had a bypass at the time of transplant," said Dr. Silpa Kilaru, University Hospital Medical Director of Lung Transplant.
"My hero I never met, I really, really from the bottom of my heart thank them so much," Ron said. "I don't think anyone has any idea how grateful the person that received the transplant to the organs are, I know my family is definitely thankful and to the donor themselves what a gift that they decided to give."
After recovery then rehab, learning how to walk again from spending months in the hospital that left his muscles atrophied, the Ross family is now encouraging others to sign up to be organ donors and potentially save a life and a family.
"That its your best friend that you grew up with in high school and planned a future with, I just couldn't imagine life without him and I couldn't imagine that we wouldn't have a future," Ann said.
"Everyday to me is just another special day that I might not have had and just having another Christmas is wonderful," Ron said.
UH doctors said Ron's story highlights the importance of early intervention.
"Whenever patients have any signs of lung disease on imaging that they should refer to us early instead of waiting," said Kilaru. "When we wait there's a higher risk that we wont be able to get them into transplant and get them through our program."