Finding New Life After a Liver Transplant

Joe was 69 years old when he was diagnosed with end-stage liver disease. He didn’t drink alcohol. He wasn’t overweight. He saw his doctor regularly. And there was no family history of liver failure. So, when this kind-hearted grandfather was told he had nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, he was shocked—and deeply concerned about what the future would hold.

The first signs of liver disease

Joe recalls the morning in 2021 when the first signs appeared. “I was disoriented, and I had no idea where I was,” says Joe, crediting his wife, Nancy, for immediately calling 911 so an ambulance could take him to the local community hospital, which was near Atlantic City.

Doctors found Joe’s ammonia levels were dangerously high, a condition known as hyperammonemia. It happens when ammonia builds up in the liver and becomes so toxic that it affects the body and brain.

Joe was admitted to the hospital and doctors stabilized his ammonia levels. They also implored him to find specialized care. When Joe and Nancy explored their options, they chose to return to the experts and the hospital they knew and loved when they lived in Clark, so they sought care at Overlook Medical Center in Summit, NJ. Joe believes this decision is the reason he is alive today.

A liver that was failing fast

Under the guidance of Atlantic Health gastroenterologist Paul Lerer, MD, Joe was able to manage his liver condition for more than a year. But the disease progressed, and he ended up in Overlook’s emergency room disoriented, jaundiced, and dangerously toxic.

“Although Dr. Lerer was concerned about my ammonia levels, he was more concerned about me, Joseph, his patient. He knew I needed a liver transplant—and he knew it was time for me to meet my liver transplant team at NYU Langone so they could start the process for my candidacy.”

Evaluating a patient for transplant surgery

Thanks to the strong partnership between Atlantic Health System and the NYU Langone Transplant Institute, Joe met with his transplant team close to home at Overlook Medical Center. As the team quickly mobilized, Nancy and one of his children were always by his side.

At the helm was NYU hepatologist Patrick Northup, MD, who began the complex testing process—first at Overlook, then at NYU—to find out if Joe qualified as a liver transplant candidate. Given the severity of his condition, Joe was immediately prioritized for transplantation.

Waiting for a donor

“They put me on the waitlist for a donor right away, then we waited. Four months after that initial meeting with my NYU transplant team, I got the call. ‘Joe, we have a liver for you.’ I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. All I knew was someone had lost their life, and I was getting their liver. I felt a mix of gratitude and heartbreak.”

The surgery lasted 10 ½ hours while liver transplantation surgeon Karim Halazun, MD, intricately removed Joe’s damaged liver and introduced a new one. In less than two weeks, Joe’s body learned to accept the new organ, and the fragile healing process had begun.

Feelings of gratitude

Five months after surgery, when Joe was feeling significantly better, he received a heartfelt note from the donor’s family—and he responded.

Joe expressed the love and gratitude he felt toward them and the woman—a stranger—whose liver renewed his life. This act of kindness had given Joe and Nancy more time with each other, their children and grandchildren, and a chance to travel, starting with a trip to Europe this summer.

A multidisciplinary care team close to home

Dr. Northup and Atlantic Health liver transplant expert Kelly Walsh, APN, continue to meet with Joe at Overlook Medical Center to monitor his vitals and medications—and Joe is incredibly grateful for them, too.

“I have nothing but kind words for all the people who took care of me,” he says, acknowledging that the support from his wife and children were also essential in his journey back to health. “I had access to one of the top transplant programs in the country, and it’s why I am here today. The best surgical team, the tailored rehabilitation program, my incredible postop care, this is what gave me my life back.”

Liver Transplants

Published: July 17, 2025

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Finding new life after a liver transplant