Woman Beats Rare Lung Disease After 23 Years on IV Pump

Joyce Martin spent 23 years connected to a pump that kept her alive, but now she's finally free.

The Youngstown woman battled pulmonary arterial hypertension since 2003, when she first noticed she couldn't walk across a room without gasping for air. Doctors initially called it asthma, but the real diagnosis turned out to be far more serious.

Martin's treatment required a catheter tunneled under her collarbone, connected to a pump she carried in her purse every single day. The device delivered medication constantly, and any interruption could be life-threatening.

"I used to love to wear dresses," Martin said. "And with the pump, it was very difficult to find a dress to work around."

She couldn't go swimming. She couldn't forget to refill her pump. For 20 years, her life revolved around keeping that device running while she worked and tried to maintain some sense of normalcy.

By 2023, Martin had nearly exhausted her treatment options. Her Cleveland Clinic pulmonologist, Dr. Kristin Highland, was preparing to discuss lung transplantation when a new medication called Sotatercept became available.

The drug represents the most significant advancement in treating pulmonary arterial hypertension in years. Martin responded so well that she was able to stop using her IV pump completely.

Why This Inspires

Martin's story shows what happens when medical innovation meets human resilience. She spent two decades adapting her entire life around a medical device, yet she chose joy every single day.

"I really did think I was going to have that the rest of my life," she said. "But I choose joy every day, to laugh with joy and be happy because there's other people in worse shape than I am."

Her perspective kept her going through years of uncertainty, and now that optimism has been rewarded. The woman who couldn't walk across a room without struggling can now wear any dress she wants, go anywhere, and live without constant fear of her pump failing.

For other patients with rare diseases, Martin's recovery offers something precious: hope that breakthrough treatments are still coming.

After 23 years of carrying a pump everywhere, Joyce Martin is finally living pump-free, and she's not taking a single moment for granted.