Charles Walker joins CURE’s Gina Mauro to share his lengthy and infrequently irritating highway to a liver most cancers analysis, the neglected dangers of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver illness (MASLD), and the crucial significance of being your personal medical advocate.
He additionally displays on the bodily and emotional toll of therapy, the position of religion and household in sustaining his battle, and the way his expertise reshaped his strategy to well being, wellness, and life after most cancers.
Walker is a liver most cancers survivor and Mauro is a vp of Content material at MJH Life Sciences.
Mauro: Whats up everybody, and welcome to CURE. I am Gina Mauro. At present, we’re sharing a narrative that’s equal components a medical cautionary story and a profound testomony to the facility of household. Since 1980, liver most cancers loss of life charges within the US have almost doubled; but, for a lot of sufferers, the journey to a analysis is paved with confusion and missed alerts.
In Might 2023, Charles Walker, a father of three and a lifelong athlete, started experiencing fatigue and again ache. Like many, he assumed his energetic life-style shielded him from critical sickness. It took months of inconclusive assessments earlier than a routine pulmonology go to led to a stunning discovery: Charles had hepatocellular carcinoma, or HCC, triggered by years of undiagnosed fatty liver illness.
He was in a battle for his life, fueled by the music his daughter despatched him and a guess from his youngest son that he would not surrender. However even after the most cancers was eradicated, Charles confronted a brand new hurdle. His MELD rating wasn’t excessive sufficient to prioritize him on the deceased donor checklist, regardless of his life hanging within the stability. That’s when his son Kyle stepped in. In an unbelievable act of braveness, Kyle grew to become his father’s dwelling donor on January 21, 2025, giving Charles not only a portion of his liver, however a second likelihood at life.
Now, Charles is popping his gratitude into motion. Lately named the American Liver Basis’s 2026 Nationwide Grownup Liver Champion, he’s working to lift consciousness for the 9,300 People nonetheless ready for a transplant and the ALF’s New Dwelling Donor Community.
Becoming a member of us right this moment to share the teachings of his journey is Charles Walker. Charles, how are you right this moment?
Walker: Good. Thanks, Gina.
Mauro: Thanks a lot for being right here with us. We’re actually excited to listen to you discuss your journey, and I’d actually love to start out by speaking concerning the highway it took you to get your analysis. It was a protracted one. There have been visits to chiropractors, a ache specialist, and a pulmonologist for signs like again ache and respiration points.
So, for sufferers who’re at present feeling unheard by the medical system, what recommendation do you might have for advocating for oneself when preliminary assessments do not present solutions?
Walker: Nicely, I’d say be persistent, primary. I may inform straight away that issues weren’t regular. It wasn’t simply one thing that was going to go away in a couple of days, and I did not get the aid that I wanted straight away. You simply should preserve exploring different choices and making an attempt to determine what the issue is. Simply be your personal advocate. You hear that on a regular basis, however I assume that is most likely the brief reply.
Mauro: No, it is an essential one. I additionally wish to be sure that we talk about metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver illness, in any other case often known as MASLD. That is actually essential to find out about. You had talked about that you just believed routine train allowed you to eat and drink no matter you wished, which is a typical false impression.
Trying again, what do you would like you had identified earlier about MASLD, and the way has your perspective on wellness modified since your analysis?
Walker: Yeah, I assume I used to be simply dwelling for the second. I attempted to eat properly, however so far as different issues, alcohol consumption was one of many huge components that contributed to my illness. I really feel there have been sure issues in my weight loss plan that additionally contributed, and I used to be overweight; these are issues that may set off MASLD. Trying again, yeah, I want I had been extra educated on the long-term results these habits would have on my life.
Mauro: Serious about this kind of situation, are there go-tos now from a dietary standpoint that you just ensure you’re consuming or ingesting, or issues that you just positively steer clear of?
Walker: I have not touched a drop of alcohol since my analysis. I’ve associates who’re nonetheless associates, however they drink, and I attempt to warn them of the potential hazard they’re inflicting themselves. I type of really feel that till you’re confronted with this kind of factor, otherwise you’re in a scenario the place you don’t have any different alternative however to stop, some folks aren’t going to cease. So far as weight loss plan goes, I used to be by no means an enormous vegetable or fruit eater, however now I eat greens and fruits every day. I discovered to love them; a lot of it’s psychological, and also you simply have to regulate your considering.
Mauro: Nicely mentioned, and really true. I wish to converse on the emotional toll of immunotherapy and radiation, which will be intense. You highlighted how music out of your daughter and a sure guess out of your son, Derek, actually saved you going.
While you have been in a few of your darkest moments, how did you consciously shift your mindset from disbelief to battle?
Walker: I do not know if it is a alternative. I feel it is a fight-or-flight sort of factor the place one thing simply takes over. That is type of what occurred. I noticed that is one thing I’ve by no means confronted earlier than in my life, and I’ve to cope with it. It’s not going away; it’s not the frequent chilly. It simply clicked, mainly. I used to be in that battle mode, and I used to be going to do every thing I may to fight it and comply with regardless of the docs instructed me to do. As you talked about, my kids have been very supportive, my spouse was unbelievable, and my religion in God was renewed.
I all the time believed in God, however I had gotten away from my faith just a little bit. I am unable to emphasize sufficient how a lot it meant to me to know that God was going to be there for me; that was actually crucial factor.
Mauro: I am actually glad you mentioned that. It seems like you might have a really supportive village that actually rallied round you. May you dive extra into that?
Walker: I’ve all the time been raised to imagine household is the primary most essential factor in your life, and I nonetheless imagine that. The help I bought from them was simply unbelievable. My youngest son (not the one who was the donor) had simply moved out to reside on his personal, and he moved again in to assist out, which benefited us each, let’s be sincere. My oldest sister got here and stayed with me for a month. She’s extraordinarily shiny and was an excellent sounding board for my spouse to do analysis and ask questions. She got here to a number of my appointments with me early on, so she was an unbelievable useful resource.
All my sisters — I’ve 5, no brothers — have been nice. All of them known as me; my nieces, my nephews, they have been all there for me. They have been all in my nook: associates, all people. When you see that individuals are rallying round you, it offers you just a little additional power to say, ‘Hey, I’ve bought to battle this, and I’ve bought to win.’ It was extraordinary.
Mauro: It’s so essential; it is a actually good, optimistic enhance to assist get you there. Thanks for sharing that.
Transcript has been edited for readability and conciseness.
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