Denied a transplant globally, man finds new lungs in UAE

66-YEAR-OLD GUATEMALAN WAS ATTACHED TO OXYGEN TANK 24 HOURS A DAY

- BY ASHWANI KUMAR Chief Reporter

A 66-year-old Guatemalan, with end-stage lung failure and dependent on oxygen 24 hours a day, found a new lease of life after a double lung transplant was performed at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.

Oscar Romero Lopez Guillen, battling end-stage pulmonary fibrosis, arrived in Abu Dhabi after exhausting medical options across four continents — South Asia, Latin America, Europe, and the US.

Diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis in 2016 in Guatemala after a prolonged cough, his condition progressively worsened over nearly a decade. In late 2024, the Cleveland Clinic global referral system connected him to CCAD.

'Heaven on earth'

Oscar, who now lives in the UAE for followup care, expressed his gratitude for the treatment that gave him a second chance. “When I arrived at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, I felt like I had come to heaven on earth. The level of care, the kindness of the nurses, the professionalism, it was something I had never experienced before.”