Austin Yang

In Austin’s moment of need he was given a chance to live normally again.

At about 9 months old, Austin was diagnosed with bronchiolitis obliterans, a chronic lung condition, as a result of an adenovirus infection that left his lung functioning only at 40-50% capacity. Since then, he has required 24/7 supplemental oxygen usage and ventilator support at night his entire life. However, this didn’t stop him from living a normal life and acquiring his Bachelor of Science in Information Systems in Spring 2022!

In September 2022, Austin started noticing a change in his health and was going in and out of the hospital with several ER visits. Eventually, things took a turn for the worse when Austin had a routine ventilator check-up at the end of October. What was supposed to be a normal check up with an overnight stay turned into an extended stay. He started experiencing another episode of excess CO2 in his body but this time further led to respiratory failure. His lungs were no longer able to provide him the proper support in his body. As a result, doctors performed an emergency surgery to get him on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), basically an external machine functioning as his lungs. ECMO was only a temporary solution, Austin had to be put on the lung transplant waitlist and wait for a donor match to come back home.

An early Christmas miracle came and Austin got a donor match at the beginning of December. The good news came just in time as he was battling an infection in his lungs through that week.. After approximately 9 hours in the OR, Austin underwent a successful double lung transplant surgery.

He’s currently recovering post-transplant at home now and was able to celebrate his birthday at home!

Austin and his family are partnering with the nonprofit Help Hope Live to fund for $10,000 to help pay for any uninsured medical expenses and bills during his post-transplant care. These expenses include travel to and from the hospital where he will regularly get evaluated for signs of lung rejection and help pay for any home and utility bills while Vamee, Austin’s Mom, takes unpaid leave to take care of Austin during his critical first year with his new lungs. All donations are tax deductible and held by Help Hope Live. They will be administered by Help Hope Live to pay for transplant related expenses.

Family and friends of Austin Yang are raising money for the nonprofit Help Hope Live to fund uninsured medical expenses associated with transplantation.

Austin has chosen to fundraise for Help Hope Live in part because Help Hope Live assures fiscal accountability of funds raised and tax deductibility for contributors. Contributors can be sure donations will be used to pay or reimburse medical and related expenses. To make a tax-deductible donation to this fundraising campaign, click on the Give button.

For more information, please contact Help Hope Live at 800.642.8399.

Thank you for your support!