Many of us make bants and jokes of having to sell off an important part of the body just so one could afford an Iphone, this was usually said to reference the expensive nature of most apple latest products.
But it will shock you to know that in one of the most controversial tech related news that originated from china was that of a young man, Xiao Wang that sold his kidney in order to be able to afford an Iphone 4 back in 2011, this was obviously when the Iphone model was the latest release. This alarming practice was and still is quite common in China where black market organ transplant is a thriving trade.
In order to get the iPhone 4 he so craved for, Mr. Wang sold one of his kidneys for the equivalent of $3,200 USD. This was more than enough for him to get the iPhone 4 for himself. Unfortunately, that was a decision that would change the course of Wang’s life forever. Since this kind of operations are mostly carried out in underground hospital, several standard operating procedures like proper sanitation of equipment used and the environment were not adhered to, this eventually led to post-operation complications. Sadly, Mr. Wang soon developed an infection in the remaining kidney. And that is when Xiao’s parents discovered what their son had done. While the Wang family didn’t have the financial resources to buy the iPhone 4 that their son Xiao so coveted, they now have to bear the brunt of financing his treatment.
Xiao Wang was 17 when he made the unfortunate decision, he is now 24 and report has it that he will need to continue with dialysis for the rest of his life. Sadly, his lifespan will be shortened and he won’t be able to live and enjoy a normal life for the period he’ll be alive. This is a sad one and we wish him all the best.
The moral of the story is that it is vain to live a fake life above ones means, especially when one needs to do dangerous and unreasonable things to achieve/acquire these things. And this advice is not limited to just acquiring gadgets but our decisions and actions generally in life.
Labels: Chinese, Health, Iphone 4, Kidney, Wang
