A Double Lung Transplant to a 5K Race Within 5 Months

For most of his life, Timothy Gruhn of Painesville was on the move, working two or three jobs at a time and spending quality time with his family. In 2016 though, he came down with a bad cold. It never really went away and his health declined – for years. By 2023, he couldn’t walk 50 yards without becoming winded and having to stop.

Sick, out of breath, and diagnosed with emphysema, Gruhn retired during the COVID-19 pandemic rather than face exposure. “It was pretty miserable,” he said. “My lungs were really bad. I was on oxygen and my pulse oximetry levels were always low.”

“Mr. Gruhn’s case was dire,” said Silpa Kilaru, MD, pulmonologist and Medical Director of Lung Transplantation at University Hospitals Transplant Institute. “He had end-stage lung disease that had progressed. We determined his chances of long-term survival were marginal without a lung transplant.”

Gruhn underwent a rigorous evaluation process and was deemed to be an excellent candidate for a double lung transplant, and he was placed on the waiting list.

“I thought I would die on the waiting list,” said Gruhn. But he always maintained a bit of hope thanks to support from his medical team headed by Dr. Kilaru. “I could look in her eyes and I could see the confidence she put forward, and I knew I was receiving superb care,” he said.

Then, after just 30 days – a match. Gruhn underwent a double lung transplant in January of 2024.

His recovery from the transplant wasn’t easy or without setbacks, but he kept improving – and moving daily. “Those lungs won’t get wasted on this 66-year-old man!” he said.

He began an active daily routine of walks in the neighborhood or to the park, plus exercise on his elliptical. Then, in May, just four months after his transplant, he completed a 5k race with his daughter.

“Mr. Gruhn’s attitude, hard work and recovery are a testament to his spirit and drive,” said Dr. Kilaru. “Our transplant team is here to support our patients every step along the way to ensure outstanding outcomes. Mr. Gruhn’s result is one we wish to see in all our patients.”

“I don’t want to sit around all day,” Gruhn said. “To me, that would be an insult to the person who gave me these lungs. I’m here and I plan to make the most of it.”