Man survives terminal lung disease; climbing Cincinnati tower with new set of lungs

A Cincinnati man got a new pair of lungs after battling terminal lung disease and will put them to work when he races up 45 flights of stairs in the Carew Tower next month. 

Scott Ashton wants to help the American Lung Association raise awareness for lung disease, celebrate his victory with loved ones and help raise money for life-saving research by climbing 804 steps on Feb. 9

“I shouldn’t be here," he said in a news release. "I shouldn’t have lived through this, but I did and want to give back. The American Lung Association does more for research than any other organization out there for lung issues. After what happened to me, I am truly blessed, I will do whatever I can to help.”

Where it all began

Ashton enjoyed working out and didn't expect to end up in the intensive care unit of the hospital. He was facing death and doctors were preparing his family for the outcome. 

After returning from a trip to the Bahamas, Ashton developed a persistent cough. After enduring the cough for several months, he visited a local urgent care center that diagnosed him with walking pneumonia and sent him home with antibiotics.

After one week, he was still feeling sick and went to the hospital. After extensive testing, doctors revealed his lungs were scarred with fibrosis. While performing a bronchoscopy, Ashton’s lung collapsed, and he went into cardiac arrest.

[It's a steal: Three months of access on cincinnati.com for $1.]

He was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a progressive lung disease that makes it difficult to breathe. There is no cure and the outlook is terminal. 

“They essentially said, ‘you are going to die.’ There was no cure and my lung capacity was decreasing rapidly,” Ashton said. “They told my wife the chances were that I wasn’t going to make it.”

Ashton was then transferred to Ohio State University's Wexner Medical Center for comprehensive care. He was placed on life support and added to the lung transplant list. On March 5, 2018, and 12 hours later,  Ashton received a double lung transplant. 

After working hard for two months in rehabilitation to speed up recovery, Ashton returned to work.