Middletown Veteran, Community Volunteer Grateful For Another Chance At Life

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — A Middletown man, and a veteran of the U.S. Marines, is thriving on this Veterans' Day, thanks to a liver transplant he received five years ago.

Middletown resident Ron Walsh is celebrating the fifth anniversary of his lifesaving liver transplant. He's a former sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps and retired PSE&G executive.

Walsh’s health issues began years before his transplant. He was first diagnosed with diabetes and his health gradually worsened. A biopsy eventually revealed that he had developed cirrhosis of the liver.

In 2019, Walsh received another devastating diagnosis when doctors discovered a cancerous tumor on his liver. Despite medical treatment, his health continued to decline.

“In 2020, I began to get confused, I had slurred speech, and I was basically unable to function,” said Walsh. “My liver was failing.”

Walsh ultimately followed his doctors’ recommendation to be placed on the waiting list for a liver transplant. The months that followed tested his patience and determination. During the summer of 2021, Walsh received six calls to prepare for a possible liver transplant.

Each time, the transplant ultimately did not move forward.

Then, on August 23, 2021, Walsh received another call. This time, his transplant surgery was officially moving forward.

“Right before surgery, I remember whispering to the doctor, ‘Please do your very best — my wife Jean and I have planned for a long life together,’” said Walsh.

The surgery was a success. Six days later, Walsh was able to leave the hospital and begin his recovery.

Over the past five years, Walsh has embraced his second chance at life. He is very active as a volunteer in Middletown: He volunteers his time with the Middletown American Legion Post #338, located on Rt. 36 in Leonardo, and the New Jersey Marine Corps League.

One of his favorite things to do is help fellow veterans better understand and access the benefits that are available through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. One such encounter involved an 80-year-old Navy veteran who had served during the Vietnam War and did not realize he might qualify for VA benefits. Walsh helped guide him through the application process and drove him to his intake appointment at a VA center. The veteran ultimately qualified for VA healthcare and received hearing aids that helped restore his confidence.

“I especially feel honored when total strangers ask me about my service,” said Walsh. “The decals on my car have provided many opportunities to speak with other veterans from all branches of the military. We may have never met before, but there is a bond and an esprit de corps. Many of those conversations lead to opportunities for me to tell veterans about benefits they may not even realize are available to them.”

And Veteran’s Day provides an opportunity for Walsh to reflect on his service in the U.S. Marine Corps, including 30 months stationed at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.

“Once you’re a Marine, you’re always a Marine,” said Walsh. “I fly the American and Marine Corps flags proudly every day, and I’m honored to have served. Despite the challenges I faced with the water issues at Camp Lejeune, my time in the Marine Corps served me well.”

People living or working on the U.S. military base were exposed to toxic tap water from 1953 through 1987, according to the U.S. VA.

He also volunteers with Middletown Helps Its Own, which provides food and other services to local residents, and 180 Turning Lives Around, a local organization that helps women fleeing domestic violence and abuse.

Five years after his transplant, he remains grateful to the organ donor who saved his life.

“I was told my donor was a woman,” said Walsh. “I believe she must have been an Olympian because I have more energy now than ever. Since my transplanted organ was donated to me, this is one way I can give back. I help families and women in her honor.”

“My organ donor lives on in me,” said Walsh. “I honor my donor’s memory every day by finding ways to help others. I tell everyone that the easiest way to become a superhero is with the click of a mouse by registering as an organ and tissue donor. You can save a mom, dad, brother, sister, cousin, grandparent – anyone.”

More than 3,000 New Jersey residents are currently waiting for an organ transplant that may save their life.