After Double Lung Transplant, Darien Man To Climb Oakbrook Terrace Tower For Charity
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A 29-year old Darien man born with cystic fibrosis planned to join hundreds of others on Sunday climbing stairs to the top of the tallest building in the suburbs to raise money for charity.
Before Aaron Loughran had a double-lung transplant when he was 21, making his bed would exhaust him. Walking to the end of the block would tire him for the rest of the day.
A month after he graduated from high school, his condition had so weakened him, he was on oxygen 24 hours a day.
"You're dealt a certain hand of cards, and you got to play with them. I was able to re-shuffle the deck and get new cards," he said.
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Now, Loughran is very active, working out, playing basketball, tennis, and golf. On Sunday, he'll climb the stairs of the 31-story Oakbrook Terrace Tower – twice – as part of the Fight For Air Climb.
"On the day I actually did the practice climb, I ended up going home for lunch, and then went for a jog," he said.
It was also after that practice climb, when he still had energy, Loughran decided he wanted to do the climb twice at the real fundraising event.
American Lung Association spokesman James Martinez said Aaron Loughran will be among hundreds of people climbing stairs Sunday to try to raise a total of $200,000 for the charity.
Loughran usually has his service dog, River, with him, but on Sunday, his parents will watch the yellow Labrador retriever on the ground floor of the Oakbrook Terrace Tower while Loughran is climbing the stairs. Loughran has a service dog because he has diabetes, and can't usually feel when his blood sugar is low.
