He's Only 10 & Needs Double Lung & Heart Transplant To Live

AUBURN - He's a 10 year old boy full of hopes and dreams, but little Cullen Steele is in a race against time. Cullen suffers from a deadly high blood pressure disease. Now, the community has rallied around this little guy that needs a transplant.

Cullen Steele is at his happiest when he's playing video games with his little brother Aidan. But, behind that smile is one tough little guy taking on a disease that's weakening his heart and lungs. Cullen says the disease is making him very sick.

"You get migraines a lot, bad ones," said Steele.

Cullen's mom Colleen says the headaches and leg pains are nothing compared to what doctors tell her Cullen will face one day.

"He said not only does he have pulmonary hypertension, it's much worse than we thought and then he dropped the heart lung transplant bomb and to be honest I probably went into shock," said Steele.

There is no cure for pulmonary hypertension a transplant is the only thing that will save his life. In the meantime, doctors can only treat Cullen's symptoms. The 5th grader says that includes swallowing 14 pills a day.

"They're yucky old pills, yucky old pills," said Steele.

Cullen says he also has to wear a special backpack that pumps medicine directly into his heart.

"Only sometimes you can feel medicine most of the time you really don't feel it," said Steele.

Aidan says his big brother's disease has also taken an emotional toll.

"It's stressful when something goes wrong, it's scary when he's done he's happy,"

Now, in their darkest hour the community is rallying around the Steeles. Cullen's dad Brian says The Children's Organ Transplant Association is helping them raise $75,000 for medical expenses.

"And, people we don't even know are offering hundreds of dollars, thousands of dollars in some cases to donate to these organizations like Make A Wish and to COTA and other places it's just amazing," said Steele.

Just like he beats his enemies in video games Cullen plans on wiping out the disease that's ravaging his body. At 10 years old he's wise beyond his years and is grateful for everyone who's on his side.

"I wanna thank them all for helping me get through each day having this," said Steele.

On August 20th at 7:30 PM there will be a Buddy Holly benefit concert to help raise money for Cullen's transplant at the Auburn Avenue Theater.