I was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico and raised in Caguas, Puerto Rico. After finishing High School at Jose Gautier Benitez High School, I decided to join the United States Air Force. I was sent to Ramey Air Force Base while I waited transport to Boot Camp at lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. I was then transferred to Wichita Falls for aircraft maintenance training. After my training I spent the next two years working the Phase docks at McDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida. I then decided to leave the Air Force to pursue a college career.
I took advantage of my G.I. Bill and was able to get an A.A degree in education at Hillsborough Community College and followed it with a B.S. in psychology from Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. I then continued on to get a M.A.T at Rollins. It was then that I returned to Tampa and got a teaching job at King High School.
After 18 years of teaching, I went back to school at the University of South Florida and got an MED in educational leadership. Soon after I became an Assistant Principal and after 10 more years I retired from education.
Life was good until I turned 68 years old. I got an infection on the bottom of my right foot and had a below-the-knee amputation. While I was in the hospital, they discovered I was diabetic. It was then that I changed my diet and reduced my weight from 210# to 145#. I lowered my A1C to 5.4, but my kidneys began to fail and now I have been on a dialysis routine since August of 2024. I am waiting hopefully for a transplant so I can return to my life.
I love golfing and sailing. Unfortunately, I am too tired to do these things, and I had to give up recreational flying due to the effect this has had on my vision. It is not easy to go through these changes. Thank God that that I have a wonderful wife who has sacrificed to help me maintain my health. This has also affected her very much. Well, that’s a short story of my life. Thanks for your time.
For medically cleared donors, giving the gift of life through living kidney donation has been proven to be very safe. DOVE will assist all prospective donors throughout the process and make sure they do not incur any out-of-pocket expenses related to the evaluation or surgery. A healthy person can live a normal life with one kidney and save Derlin‘s life with the other!
Your support, whether through spreading the word on social media or considering becoming a donor, can make a profound impact on his life and the life of his family!
Please click on the link below if you would like to learn more OR call (551) 233-1611