In what has to be one of the saddest stories I have ever personally read, a 17-year old Chinese boy sold one of his kidneys to get an iPad and iPhone. That, in and of itself, is sad enough. But, now the young boy (known only as Wang) is suffering with renal deficiency and, apparently, his other kidney is in danger of shutting down. His health is continuing to fail. The doctor and four others were charged with "intentional injury, and illegal organ trading." The Chinese boy wound up getting less than $3500 for the kidney. The others got over ten times that amount. The young boy lives in the Anhu Province, which is one of the poorer provinces in China. Before people start mocking this young boy, you need to understand the hopelessness he must have faced in his life. All he saw on TV (if his family even has one) and newspapers were pictures of iPads and iPhones. Apple products are extremely popular in China. It is a "must get" for the Chinese. So, this young teenager decided if he was ever going to own an iPad, he would have to sell a body organ in order to get it. Now, that is not a choice of a mature, logical person. You have to remember this is a young teen growing up in abject poverty. I'm sure if he had a chance to do it over again, I doubt he would give up a kidney.

When I was a teenager, about the age of Wang, there was nothing I wanted more than a motorcycle. I mean, absolutely NOTHING. I begged, pleaded and threatened to run away. But, my family was poor. I just did not understand how poor we were at the time. I did not get a motorcycle until years later when I joined the U.S. Navy. Now, one of the reasons I know my mother would never go along with the idea of me owning a motorcycle was my carelessness. I almost killed myself on my Triumph 650 about a year after I bought it in Naples, Italy. I finally got what I wanted. And then some. So, I will not condemn this young teenager. I know what it feels like to be desperate for a status symbol. I know what it feels like to not get what you want also. In the case of the Chinese boy, Wang, his desperation drove him to the madness of giving up a kidney. It may even cost him his life now.
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