Former Olympic wrestler Ben Askren was settling into retirement when his life took a devastating turn. What began as a staph infection spiraled into a severe case of pneumonia that ravaged his lungs. His condition worsened to the point where he was placed on a ventilator, hooked up to an ECMO machine, and sedated into a 45-day coma. During that harrowing stretch, Askren suffered cardiac arrest on four separate occasions.

By June, his wife, Amy, revealed his critical state, sparking an outpouring of support from the combat sports community. Both Jake Paul and Dana White stepped in to help cover the costs of a lung transplant, a procedure that ultimately saved Askren’s life. The battle, however, was far from over. The 41-year-old lost 50 pounds, emerging weak and frail. Though briefly readmitted after returning home, his condition has steadily improved. Now, Askren is back home once again, sharing hopeful updates on his long road to recovery.

Ben Askren reveals his kids didn’t know the extent of his condition

Speaking to Ariel Helwani recently, Ben Askren opened up about how his wife, Amy, managed the situation with their children during his health crisis. “She kind of shielded them from it,” Askren said. “We never let them know, this is her telling me, we never let them know really how bad it was. But yeah, I mean, they visited me in the hospital multiple times. So I don’t know that she ever told them fully.”

When asked about how Amy coped with his hospitalization and critical condition herself, Askren emphasized just how supportive she had been throughout the ordeal. “She did great,” Askren told Ariel Helwani. “Obviously, I’m way better than what I was, but there are still a lot of things I kind of need help with, and it’s weird because one of the biggest things right now is I just don’t have the energy.” 

Aksren explains that if he feels energetic during the day, that can only result in him crashing down later at night, and the following day will feel worse. “That’s kind of like how it works. It’s just like I just can’t do that many things,” Askren added during the interview. “I get worn out. My body just can’t handle it.” He concluded by explaining that before his health crisis, he was able to do ten things with ease; now, he can only manage three. “And then that’s like exhausting.”

In the meantime, Askren has also confirmed receiving help from Jake Paul and Dana White.

Askren’s message to Dana White and Jake Paul

Having endured perhaps the most painful phase of his life, Ben Askren has a message for Jake Paul and Dana White. Askren required a $2 million double-lung transplant following his health crisis. And the combat sports community came forward to support him by raising the funds, particularly Paul and White. 

Paul had hinted earlier in June, saying, “It sucks that no one is doing anything… none of these people, like Dana [White] or anyone, are stepping in. So I feel like I have to do something.” Meanwhile, White later confirmed his support as well. While this was a rumor before, Askren finally cleared the air during his appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show. 

“Jake Paul and Dana White both donated… They were both very generous. And I’m grateful that they felt generous enough,” Askren told Helwani. 

From the looks of things, Ben Askren is slowly recovering from his health crisis. While he might not be fully recovered, with his wife, Amy, beside him, his condition is bound to improve. What did you think of Ben Askren’s crisis?