After months of setbacks, surgeries, and some tense hospital stays, Ben Askren‘s recovery has finally taken a positive turn. The former UFC fighter, who has been fighting for his life since a double lung transplant, is finally going forward—something his wife, Amy Askren, had been openly praying for.
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That hope was on full display in Amy Askren’s recent Instagram story: “We miss you, @BenAskren. Really praying this guy can come home tomorrow. We need some of his labs to straighten out a bit. He’s so ready.” Just days ago, ‘Funky’ was readmitted to the hospital when doctors found an infection near his chest tube.
Now, it appears that prayers have been answered. In his latest Instagram post, a smiling Askren shared a selfie from the passenger seat with the caption, “Escaped again, hopefully this time it sticks!!” It’s his second time leaving the hospital since the transplant, and he hopes it marks the beginning of a longer period at home.
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However, it is worth noting that while the update is cause for celebration, doctors remain cautious. But why? Well, Dr. Kirlos Haroun of Johns Hopkins Hospital told Uncrowned, “I would be cautious about him even entering a gym, let alone rolling and wrestling, just because of the infection risk. A skin abrasion can lead to a severe reinfection that can be life-threatening.”
So, it looks like Ben Askren will have to be really careful with his body and lifestyle now to avoid getting brought back to the hospital. Still, Askren’s resilience has surely become an inspiration for his fans. His recovery from being unable to straighten his fingers to walking hospital corridors in only six weeks has been nothing short of remarkable.
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Hopefully now, he’s bringing that struggle outside of the hospital walls for the final time with no relapses in his condition. And while, unfortunately, there can still be changes in his condition, one thing that remains certain now is Askren’s faith in the almighty. Why? Because now, he has experienced ‘the other side.’
Ben Askren reveals his belief in God only grew after his coma
After everything he’s been through, whether it be the surgeries, setbacks, or Amy’s endless prayers, Ben Askren’s deepest transformation didn’t just happen in his lungs but in his heart instead. What began as a quiet support for his wife’s faith has evolved into something more personal, which he says was built in moments when he “was on the other side.”
‘Funky’ revealed that during his 45-day medically induced coma, he died four times. Each time, he managed to make a return. “There was multiple times where they thought I was dead, like I was dead; that’s the other side,” he said. After years of attending church just to stand beside his wife, he awoke with an undeniable desire to worship God.
“It was really weird when I woke up, I’m like, ‘I gotta do it, you know,'” he admitted, describing the transformation as a change he never expected. Even though Askren has little recollection of the weeks between May 28 and July 2, he believes the aftermath has filled him with gratitude.
Friends, family, and even strangers pitched in by donating money, making meals, watching the kids, and simply showing up. And, although the warrior in him is focused on his physical recovery, the man in him is more determined than ever to carry his renewed faith into whatever challenges lie ahead.
Written by
Edited by
Syed Rahil Ahmed