Chinese Man Now Faces Serious Organ Failure After Selling Kidney For iPhone 4 in 2011

January 4, 2019

A Chinese man is now facing serious organ failure after having sold one of his kidneys to buy an iPhone 4 when he was a teenager.

The man, identified by local media as Xiao Wang, was then 17 years old in 2011 when he decided to sell his kidney to buy the iPhone 4, Apple’s latest smartphone model at the time.

Wang reportedly came from a poor household and could not afford the pricey gadget, which at that time cost between $600-$700. His desire for the flagship device led him to sacrifice a healthy organ to raise enough money to purchase it, reports Phone Arena.

With the help of a middleman, Wang was able to sell his kidney on the black market. After an appointment was set up for him in Chenzhou, China, he proceeded to meet with an underground doctor and undergo an operation.

Since it was not performed in an actual hospital, the procedure might have not been conducted in a sanitary setting. Still, the operation was technically a success and Wang was able to collect 22,000 yuan ($3,202) for his kidney.

However, Wang immediately developed complications as his wound became infected just weeks after the operation. He eventually suffered kidney failure.

Wang’s family sued the middleman and the doctors for 2.2 million yuan ($320,284), an amount which mostly covered Wang’s expensive treatment.

Wang now spends most of his time bedridden, as he is constantly dependent on a dialysis machine to survive.

Featured Image via kknews

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