How Two Ten Helped Daniel Keota Navigate His Sarcoidosis Diagnosis

Daniel Keota, an assistant manager at Puma, has faced life-changing health challenges from Sarcoidosis, an inflammatory disease most commonly found in the lungs. With support from Two Ten, Daniel navigated financial hardship and found purpose through comedy, which he now uses to help others. This Sarcoidosis Awareness Month, Daniel’s story is a powerful reminder of resilience and the strength of community. 

For Daniel Keota, the past seven years have been defined by challenges most people never expect to face. 

It started in 2017 when he was hospitalized with pneumonia and a collapsed lung. Daniel was eventually diagnosed with Sarcoidosis, a non-cancerous autoimmune disease that would permanently reshape his future. After a brief period of stability, his condition worsened in 2019. What followed were years of uncertainty, ongoing treatment, and difficult setbacks, including the need for supplemental oxygen and, more recently, placement on the lung transplant waiting list. 

“It's been a pretty crazy seven years,” he told Two Ten. 

As his condition worsened in 2019, Daniel was forced to take leave from his role as an assistant manager at a Puma store, which contributed to a period of financial strain. That’s when he was first introduced to Two Ten. 

“When I was struggling back then, my district manager and my HR manager let me know about Two Ten,” said Daniel. “We were behind on [bills for] everything, to be honest. That was the first time Two Ten helped us.” 

That initial support helped Daniel stay afloat during a challenging period. Over the years, as his illness continued to impact his ability to work, Two Ten remained a steady resource in his life, helping to relieve the financial pressure that often accompanies serious health conditions. 

“A lot of times when you get to that point, you feel weird asking people [for help],” Daniel said. “It's really good to know that there's programs out there that can help the footwear industry and that people care.” 

In 2024, Daniel found a new way to channel his energy and pay his support forward. While undergoing evaluation for a lung transplant, he looked for something to help him cope with the stress and uncertainty of constant medical testing. He found it in an unexpected place. 

“I decided to take comedy classes to distract myself,” he said. 

What began as a personal outlet soon turned into something much more. That summer, Daniel organized his first comedy show, Barely Breathing, raising $12,000. The experience sparked a new sense of purpose and an idea to combine his creativity with a desire to support others facing similar challenges. 

Since then, his efforts have grown into an organization called Die Laughing, which hosts multiple fundraising shows each year along with weekly open mic nights. Daniel's goal is to raise $25,000 to establish a donation fund with Penn Medicine to support patients navigating treatment for lung diseases. 

“We have the foundation to make our goals,” Daniel said. 

Daniel has also found strength in the footwear community around him. He is currently on medical leave from Puma as he awaits a lung transplant. But he’s built deep connections since he joined the company in 2013. Those relationships have carried him through every stage of his journey.  

“They always make you feel at home,” Daniel said about his team at Puma. “They reached out when they knew I was struggling … that shows that they care.”