In the ultimate example of Indian-giving, read this story.
"Richard Batista from Long Island in New York, says he wants the organ back or $1.5 million dollars. The surgeon gave his wife Dawnell the kidney in 2001 after two previous failed transplants.
Dr. Batista told the New York Daily News there is "no value you can put on an organ when it saves some one's life. There is no greater feeling on this planet."
He says he is only suing Dawnell to get her to act reasonably in the divorce case, claiming she is restricting access to their children, aged eight, 11 and 14.
Their relationship had been suffering due to the strain of his wife's medical issues, said Dr. Batista. "My first priority was to save her life," he said. "The second bonus was to turn the marriage around." But it did not work and four years later she filed for divorce.
Arthur Caplan from the University of Pennsylvania's Centre for Bioethics said the likelihood of Dr. Batista getting either his kidney or the money was "somewhere between impossible and completely impossible".
Medical ethicist Robert Veatch from Georgetown University said it was illegal for an organ to be exchanged for anything of value. Organ donation is a gift which means you cannot legally get it back, he explained. "It's her kidney now and taking the kidney out would mean she would have to go on dialysis or it would kill her," Mr Veatch said. He insisted no reputable surgeon would perform such a procedure and no court could compel someone to undergo an operation."
By the way, I meant no disrespect to Native Americans in the use of the phrase "Indian-giving". As someone of Native American heritage herself, I have only the utmost respect for indigenous peoples. In fact, I say that we change not the phrase but the meaning to be "when the American government gave stuff to the Native people then took it all back". Still fits pretty well, don't you think?
Meanwhile, Dr. Batista is an ass. Sure, he only wants publicity, but is this really how you want to see your doctor, as a petty jerk? No, she should not be trying to keep him from seeing his kids (if that's what she's doing, I only know that's what he alleges) but he has legal recourse for those actions, not this childish statement.
I believe in organ donation. Maybe Dr. Batista just needs a head transplant.
5 comments:
I don't know what to think about this. He sounds like a jerk. But on the other hand, I have witnessed child custody battles and they can get nuts. And although there are legal channels for both spouses in that regard, they are far from smooth and simple. In fact, they are quite frustrating. If the laws worked well, people wouldn't have to resort to suing for a kidney or, in some extreme cases, showing up at court with a gun and murder in mind.
Whatever happens with these two, I hope they can resolve it quickly. The children, the ones they are fighting over because they supposedly love them so much, are the ones who get really hurt by all this in the long run.
I hope your arm is feeling better. Whatever you do, don't go to this particular doctor for help!
And I forgot to mention that because of your post title, I keep thinking of that old ghost story we used to tell as kids...."Johnny, I want my liver back...."
I think I can honestly say, this is just plain....retarded.
Funny, Maura thought of that scary story. I thought of Monty Python's sketch in Meaning of Life, Live Organ Transplants.
Din ding ding, Dyann, you are the winner in the name the sketch the title of the post came from, it was indeed Monty Python. (Sorry Maura, but I'll send you a box of Rice-a-Roni as a consolation prize!)
Darn!!!! I didn't know there was a prize!!
I wouldn't have won anyway. I haven't seen The Meaning of Life. I've only seen The Search for the Holy Grail and Life of Brian.
Oh well, it's a good thing I like Rice-a-Roni!
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