Derrick and Lauren Naegler

“I know I was supposed to be his support system, but he remained my support system through everything,” said Lauren Naegler, 27. “There is nothing in the world that I wouldn’t do for him.”

Derrick Naegler, 27, met his wife in 2014 on a bus ride home after a football game from Florida State. The couple was on the marching band team; Derrick played the tuba and Lauren played the clarinet.

Derrick and Lauren said “I do” on January 25, 2020. For their honeymoon, the couple took a trip to Disneyworld, and soon after, the newlyweds began their life together in Las Vegas, Nevada where they accepted job offers with HCA Healthcare. Despite the worldwide pandemic, Derrick and Lauren continued to excel in their careers and became pet parents to rescue dogs. However, little did they know Derrick’s health would soon be at risk.

While at work, Derrick’s colleagues expressed concern regarding his health after noticing he was experiencing a great deal of pain at such a young age. Derrick was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, a form of arthritis that causes pain, swelling, stiffness and loss of joint function.

In April of 2020, Derrick suffered a nose bleed, and shortly after, began to cough up blood which required immediate medical attention. Derrick’s lung health was also worsening due to an infection caused by COVID. Further evaluation revealed his kidneys were shutting down and he would require a kidney transplant. “When I heard that Derrick had this illness and that his kidneys were not working, it was all very sudden,” said Lauren.

Though it can take many years to match with an organ donor, Derrick requested that he be added to the waitlist. In the meantime, he was placed on daily home dialysis, which removes waste from the blood when kidneys can no longer function.

Kidney transplantation significantly prolongs and improves life compared to dialysis. A recipient can obtain a kidney from a living donor or a deceased donor. The fastest way to receive a kidney is through the living donor program, however, live donors must undergo many tests to determine eligibility. 

For Lauren, it was a no-brainer. She decided to add her name to the donor list along with two of Derrick’s uncles and a security director at a hospital he previously worked for. Luckily, results showed Lauren was a blood and a genetic cross match.

“She told me it is marriage insurance, I can’t return her without all of her parts,” Derrick laughed.

After consulting with James Pitman, MD, Transplant Director for HCA along with Adam Bingaman, MD, PhD, transplant surgeon and Director of the Abdominal Transplant Program, it was set that the kidney transplant would take place at Methodist Hospital Specialty & Transplant on September 29, 2021.

According to Luke Shen, MD, the transplant team used the single-site donor approach for the Nephrectomy that many others do not do. It is known to minimize scarring and post-surgery pain. “Derrick and Lauren’s surgeries went very well and they have fully recovered,” said Eric Treat, MD. 

“The couple had the option to do their surgery in Las Vegas as there are other transplant programs there, however, she was well-aware about our reputation here at Methodist Specialty & Transplant. It was good to know that they were comforted by our program,” commented Luke Shen, MD.

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