Noah Young was a veteran who was in a car accident with his son and later connected with Owen, who aimed to set up a study proving the link between burn pits and a variety of health problems.
History[]
Noah was on a father-son trip with his son, Danny, when he passed out while driving and hit a tree. They were both taken to the hospital, where he had shortness of breath. Despite this, he insisted that he was fine and was primarily concerned with his son. He declined a chest x-ray, but then he coughed up blood, so Owen took him for a CT, which showed pulmonary fibrosis. When they went to talk to Noah about this, he said he knew and he'd gotten it from his time in the military, but the VA refused to help with it because they denied that it was connected to his service. Once his son was discharged, Noah signed an AMA form and left the hospital with his son. ("Some Kind of Tomorrow")
Owen did some research into the burn pits that caused Noah's condition and found no good research, only anecdotes. He continuously tried to contact Noah to talk to him about it more, but got no response, so he went to Noah's house to appeal to him directly. Noah agreed to tell Owen everything he knew. ("Hotter Than Hell")
Noah and Owen attended a meeting for veterans, led by Roy Davis, who was collecting stories to appeal directly to the government to get them to acknowledge the connection between the burn pits and the many soldiers getting sick. Roy was surprised to see Noah there, as Noah had always previously refused to attend. Owen started to explain the study he was developing when Roy coughed up blood and collapsed, so they called an ambulance to take him to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with lung cancer. Since he was already dying, they knew any treatment would only be about prolonging his life. He decided to have the surgery anyway, hoping to get enough time to lobby congress. He survived the surgery, but coded in his room afterward and died. When Owen told Noah Roy had died, Noah became upset with Owen and said he was done helping him with his study. ("With a Little Help From My Friends")
Noah returned to the hospital when he passed out while bagging groceries at his job. When his wife brought Danny to the hospital with her, Noah asked Owen to take Danny and distract him, which Owen did. An x-ray in the ER show a pneumothorax, so they put in a chest tube and gave him steroids and a breathing treatment. After the chest tube was placed, Noah asked Owen how much longer it would be before it was over, because the bills were still piling up and he was tired. Owen said it would be soon. Then he helped Noah get dressed and the family left the hospital together. ("Everyday Is a Holiday (With You)")
Noah passed away shortly before Christmas, using medication Owen Hunt had provided for him. ("It Came Upon a Midnight Clear") Before he took the medication, Noah assured Owen that his wife knew his plan and that he was at peace with his decision, saying he could care for his son better from the other side. Desperate to help other soldiers, after Owen provided him the medication, he made Owen promise to give the same medication to other soldiers when they needed it, including those who didn't live in a state where physician-assisted suicide is legal. ("No Time to Die")
Relationships[]
Romantic[]
He was married to Heather Young.
Familial[]
He and his wife have a son, Danny. When he learned he was dying of pulmonary fibrosis, he was desperate to spend as much time as he could with his son.
Friendships[]
He was very close with Roy Davis, whom he met when he was just a recruit.
Career[]
He was in the US military. During his service, he did two tours in Afghanistan, one in Jordan, one in Djibouti, and two in Iraq. After leaving the military, he worked at a seafood plant, but lost that job because his pulmonary fibrosis made him too weak to do the work.
He later got a job bagging groceries to help pay the bills that were piling up. ("Everyday Is a Holiday (With You)")
Notes and Trivia[]
- He was third generation Bassett Infantry.
Gallery[]
Episodic[]
Appearances[]
| Grey's Anatomy, Season 18 | |||||
| #01 | "Here Comes the Sun" | #08 | "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" | #15 | "Put It to the Test" |
| #02 | "Some Kind of Tomorrow" | #09 | "No Time to Die" | #16 | "Should I Stay or Should I Go" |
| #03 | "Hotter Than Hell" | #10 | "Living In a House Divided" | #17 | "I'll Cover You" |
| #04 | "With a Little Help From My Friends" | #11 | "Legacy" | #18 | "Stronger Than Hate" |
| #05 | "Bottle Up and Explode!" | #12 | "The Makings of You" | #19 | "Out for Blood" |
| #06 | "Everyday Is a Holiday (With You)" | #13 | "Put the Squeeze On Me" | #20 | "You Are the Blood" |
| #07 | "Today Was a Fairytale" | #14 | "Road Trippin'" | ||