Patient Stories

• Marine Corps veteran and father of two, Seth was diagnosed with cirrhosis in 2023. Initially listed in Pittsburgh, he learned about dual-listing and turned to UC Health for another option.
• He used UC Health’s online self-referral form, which connected him to the transplant team. After completing evaluations and being added to UC Health’s transplant list, he and a perfect donor match just 24 hours later.
• Today, Seth is thriving — hiking, driving, and spending time with family, crediting dual listing and UC Health’s innovative access tools for saving his life.

Take the first step toward lifesaving care. Submit an online self-referral to the UC Health Transplant program today.

Choosing Life for His Daughters

At 44 years old, Seth Judy has already lived several lives. A Marine Corps veteran and father, he grew up in Milford, Ohio, before serving overseas in Iraq. After returning home injured and facing the invisible wounds of PTSD, Seth leaned on unhealthy coping strategies that eventually took a toll on his liver. By 2023, he was diagnosed with cirrhosis and told bluntly: “You can quit drinking, or you can die.”

Seth chose life—for himself, for his daughters, and for his future.

A Turn Toward Hope

At first, Seth’s transplant journey began through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), which referred him to a Pittsburgh hospital for pre-transplant care. There, he learned his wait for a liver could stretch to 2–3 years—time he might not have. With a small cancerous lesion already spotted on his liver, the risk of waiting weighed heavily.

That’s when he discovered something many patients don’t realize: the ability to dual list at more than one transplant center. “A woman at the VA whose father had a transplant at UC Health told me, ‘You know you can be listed in two places, right?’ I had no idea,” Seth said. “That piece of advice changed everything.”

“Dual listing is one of the most powerful tools a patient has,” said Dr. Cutler Quillin, Seth’s liver transplant surgeon at UC Health. “Every additional listing increases access to organ offers. For patients like Seth, who didn’t have the luxury of waiting years, it can truly be the difference between life and death.”

The Power of Self-Referral

Encouraged to explore UC Health’s nationally recognized transplant program, Seth turned to UC Health’s website where he found the online self-referral form. Instead of getting lost in endless phone transfers and voicemail boxes, he was able to send his information directly.

“For me, it was a really good experience because I’m impatient,” Seth laughed. “With the VA, you can spend hours getting bounced around. With UC Health, I just hit ‘submit’ and within days I had a response. It was simple, fast, and it gave me peace of mind at a time I needed it most.”

“We created the online self-referral to make transplant care more accessible,” Dr. Quillin explained. “We don’t want delays, red tape, or confusion standing between a patient and lifesaving care. Seth’s story shows how quickly and effectively the process can work.”

A Lifesaving Call

By May, Seth was meeting with UC Health’s liver transplant team. His evaluation went quickly, and on July 2, 2024, he was officially added to UC Health’s transplant list.

What happened next still gives him chills.

“The next morning, July 3 at 3:44 a.m., I got the call. They had a liver for me. It was a perfect match.”

Seth underwent transplant surgery within hours. Just five days later, he was discharged home. Three months later, he was back to hiking five miles and climbing 22 flights of stairs—activities he hadn’t been able to imagine in the months leading up to transplant.

“To see Seth return to his family and his active lifestyle so quickly is why we do what we do,” said Dr. Quillin. “He put in the hard work—both before and after surgery—and it’s inspiring to see him thriving today.”

Care Beyond the Operating Room

While the surgery saved his life, Seth is just as grateful for the people behind the care. “The nurses in the SICU [Surgical Intensive Care Unit] treated me like family,” he said. “One of them felt like a brother to me. I always felt like their priority.”

Today, Seth says his anxiety has melted away. “Before, I was always tired. I was constantly anxious that my liver could fail at any time. Now, I’m driving again, I’m taking my kids on trips, and I feel free. It’s an incredible feeling.”

A Message for Other Patients

Seth wants others to know two important things:

1. Dual listing can save your life. “If I had only stayed on the Pittsburgh list, I’d still be waiting. Because I dual-listed with UC Health, I got my transplant within 24 hours of being listed.”
2. The self-referral form is a game-changer. “It cut through all the barriers and got me straight to the team that could help me. I didn’t have to wait on hold or wonder if I’d ever get a call back. It just worked.”

Looking Forward

For Seth, the liver transplant isn’t just about survival, it’s about living fully again. “It made me realize how short life really is. I want to focus on my family, keep moving forward, and embrace every opportunity. UC Health gave me that chance.”

If you or someone you know is in need of a lifesaving liver, kidney, or heart transplant, submit an online self-referral to the UC Health Transplant program today.

Submit Your Self-Referral