Convict Who Donated Kidney May Face Additional 25 Years

A convict who donated a kidney to save the life of his 13-year-old daughter may be facing more prison time after heroin was found in his cell.

David Patterson, who is serving a seven-year sentence for burglary, would have been eligible for parole in August 1997, but could face up to 25 more years in prison, his family said.

In a letter to his family, Patterson, 35, said he used the heroin for pain relief after the operation because the prison hospital failed to give him medicine after the operation.

Patterson underwent surgery March 12 to help his daughter, Renada Daniel-Patterson, who lives in Vallejo with her mother. Renada was born with only one kidney, which failed. She had a transplant at age 5, but her body rejected the donated organ.

Prison officials initially blocked the transplant, first by citing what turned out to be a false test result showing that Patterson had hepatitis. Later, the Department of Corrections tried to bill the family for $8,000 in security costs, but state legislators blocked the move.

Prison spokeswoman Linda Howell said officials have not determined how the heroin got into Patterson’s cell, and added that they are investigating his claims about the lack of treatment after the operation.

In a letter to his sister, Janice Patterson-Lounding of Berkeley, Patterson claimed that he was kneed in the side by a police officer shortly after the transplant.