A doctor from Long Island, Dr. Richard Batista, is asking that his ex-wife Dawnell Batista returns his kidney or pay him $1.5 million in compensation.
In 2001, Batista donated one of his kidney to his then wife after she suffered a life threatening kidney failure.
Batista was a perfect match and he decided to give to her out of love. Dawnell underwent the surgery successfully and regained her health.
The love story took a twisted fate in 2005 after Baptist discovered Dawnell’s affair. She had been cheating on her husband with her physical therapist.
Batista filed for divorce in 2007. As part of compensation, Batista filed a lawsuit against Dawnell.
He demanded either $1.5 million (the estimated black-market value of a kidney) or she returns the kidney itself.
He argued that the kidney was a conditional gift that he gave his wife under the expectation their marriage will last a life time.
After a series of contentious legal battle, case was ultimately dismissed in court because organ donation laws prohibit treating donated organs as property subject to return or compensation.
In a 2009 TV interview with Inside Edition, Batista reaffirmed his stance. He added that he was only going to drop the charges if his kidney was returned.
