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1st
appeared 16 April 1999
Patterson Returns Home After Transplant with
Uncle's Kidney
Oakland teenager Renada Daniel Patterson was released from the UCSF Medical Center on
Wednesday after a successful kidney transplant. The transplant, which was performed last
week, was the third for Renada, 17, whose previous transplanted kidneys had failed.
Renada's case came to prominence three years ago when her father, David Patterson, came
forward from prison to donate a kidney to a daughter he had scarcely seen. That kidney
began to fail in 1998, in part, says her mother, Vickie Daniel, because she neglected to
take anti-rejection medications. In November, Patterson offered to give her his remaining
kidney and to go on dialysis himself. This January, UCSF's medical ethics committee
advised transplant surgeons that it would be unethical to take a person's last kidney for
this purpose -- that the benefit to the recipient would be outweighed by the harm to the
donor.
Meanwhile, Renada's uncle from New Orleans, Randy Patterson, 42, came forward with an
offer to donate his kidney.
"I'm feeling good that I was able to do this for my family. This is my brother's only
child," said Patterson, who was discharged from the hospital on Monday and is
expected to return to work in about a week.
Renada's transplant surgeon was Nancy Ascher, chief of the liver, kidney and pancreas
transplant service. Ascher said that for patients like Renada, who have received
transplants and blood transfusions in the past that cause their immune systems to make
antibodies against many potential donors, it was fortunate to have a blood relative
willing to donate an organ.
Daniel said she has started a foundation to help families and donors with expenses
involved in transplants. Patterson and donors like him lose time from work and often must
travel and pay living expenses while waiting for pre-transplant tests to be completed.
Daniel said donations to the foundation would be used to help her family and others who
face financial difficulties. "Donors should not have to pay a single penny to do this
good deed," she said.
The local chapter of the American Kidney Foundation obtained funding for Patterson's
airfare from New Orleans and helped with travel arrangements.
The liver, kidney and pancreas transplant service of UCSF Stanford Health Care at UCSF
performs more than 200 transplants a year. Almost one-third are transplants from living
donors who offer a kidney, or in some cases a portion of a liver, for the sake of a
relative or friend.
Links:
Removing A Person's Last
Remaining Kidney Violates Physicians' Code of Ethics
UCSF Stanford Health Care
Transplant Services
Source: Janet Basu, News Services |
