Read part 1 of Pastor Gatling's story.

It was the best birthday present Derek Gatling could have asked for.

After more than two years of balancing exhausting three-times-a-week dialysis treatments with his responsibilities as pastor of First Baptist Church of Jericho in Deptford, he received a kidney transplant—three days before his 54th birthday—at Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital.

“I’m still in disbelief,” said Pastor Gatling. “I was sitting there and thanking God, but it was scary. You are going to have major surgery. For me, it was, Lord, here we go. You got me. You prepared me for this day, so let’s go. Thank you for this opportunity.’”

‘Do You Want a Kidney?’
Recent changes in the United Network for Organ Sharing’s wait list for criteria gave Pastor Gatling hope that his time for a transplant may be close. When the call came early on May 30, 2023, he was still asleep and couldn’t pick up the phone.

“At 8 a.m., they called again and I answered. They said, ‘Do you want a kidney?’ I said, ‘Yes I do,’” he said. “They told me to eat breakfast and get there by 1 p.m. It was a whirlwind to say the least.”

By that evening, Pastor Gatling had a new kidney. He was discharged home after six days in the hospital.

“The staff was tremendous,” he said. Anita Mehrotra, MD, Pastor Gatling’s transplant nephrologist, “was always checking in. She was in the hospital room making sure everything was going to plan. Anything and everything I needed she took care of.”

Practicing What You Preach
Since getting diagnosed with chronic kidney disease in his early 40s, Pastor Gatling has made kidney health a centerpiece of his ministry, emphasizing the importance of fresh fruits and vegetables, exercise, and regular visits with a health care provider.

Within a few months of the transplant, Pastor Gatling had regained his ability to work out. And while he no longer has the same diet restrictions, he continues to eat a healthy diet.

“I have energy all the time, rather than ebbs and flows,” he said. “I’m able to do more. I have 16 hours a week back from not having to go to dialysis.”

“Most recipients will have a restored sense of well-being and sexual function and the freedom of being able to do more things because they are not tied down to dialysis three days a week,” said Dr. Mehrotra. “Our goal is to get people back to functioning at 100%. He’s a great success story.”

Pastor Gatling is once again preaching every Sunday and continues working to transform a nearby firehouse and school into a food pantry and community center. He also has a new mission: to earn a doctorate degree in marriage and family therapy.

“I’ve got another chance. I’m determined. I want to make the best of it,” he said.

Total Care for Your Kidneys, Liver, and Pancreas
To request a transplant evaluation with a referral coordinator, call 856-796-9370 (kidney and pancreas) or 856-796-9340 (liver). To make an appointment with a kidney or liver disease specialist, call 888-847-8823.