REIDSVILLE, N.C. (WGHP) — Last summer, 22-year-old Gabriel Patterson, of Reidsville, found out that he was in complete kidney failure, and the wait for a new kidney could have been up to 10 years.
“My biggest mistake was that I didn’t get yearly physicals in college. … If I was more frequently getting physicals this probably could have been caught sooner, so I urge everyone, make sure you get your health on track. Make sure you get those physicals,” Gabriel said.
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Last week, however, Gabriel got a kidney transplant and is now recovering. His hero donor was his dad, Bryan Patterson, a lieutenant at the Madison Police Department.
“There is always a part of him inside of me for the rest of my life. There is nothing that can separate us,” Gabriel said.
The two are healing from surgery together which has proven to be a profound experience for the now-inseperable father and son.
“I see the struggles that both of us are going through right now and it makes the sacrifice so much more meaningful,” Gabriel said.