PHOENIX — It's a disease that impacts nearly a quarter of all adults across the U.S., according to groups like The American Heart Association, and you may not even know you have it since many people never experience any symptoms.
It's called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, or NAFLD, and a young Valley man has lived with it for nearly half his life. He's decided to open up about his journey to help end the stigma and raise awareness for the disease.
Not even old enough to see a PG-13 movie on his own, and already, Ben Rush was facing news that would change his life forever.
"I know there is someone going through this exact same feeling," says Rush. "The exact same circumstances... For years now, I've had this disease, that a lot of people just don't know about."
Even though the Mayo Clinic says nearly one in four adults across the U.S. also have NAFLD, just like Ben.
Also just like Ben, many don't have any symptoms.
"It really just came up in a bloodwork panel my doctor ordered...These enzymes in my liver were really elevated, far beyond what a 12-year-old should be experiencing."
Now heading into his sophomore year at George Washington University, this Brophy grad still remembers the moment he was diagnosed seven years ago and the chilling news he got from his doctor.
"I would say what one of my previous doctors said, 'If you don’t treat yourself right, you’ll need a liver transplant by the age of 18.'"
According to the Mayo Clinic, causes of NAFLD can include obesity, insulin resistance, Type 2 Diabetes, or genetics - and it's that last factor Ben says likely contributed to his own health. His grandfather on his mother's side also had NAFLD disease and died in his forties.
"Back then, they didn’t have the name for this. They didn’t have the diagnosis. It's great that 50 years later, I am able to come forward to speak on his behalf and bring forward his story and my story tied together. It gives me a lot of courage and hope to keep going."
Ben's story was recently profiled on GMA3. He and his doctor were both featured and talked about a new FDA drug called, "Rezdiffra," which is the first FDA-approved to treat liver scarring from fatty liver disease.
To see Ben's story on GMA3, click here.
