JEDDAH: “I want to sell my kidney.”
This is what a 25-year-old Saudi woman said after her mother failed to receive financial help from charity organizations and the municipality.
“We have failed to get any aid to help us lead a better life since my father left us 12 years ago,” said the woman, who did not want her name published.
She added that her mother has been accumulating debt for 12 years after her father left without even indicating whether he has divorced her or not.
“He abandoned his responsibilities and thus my mother had to take full care of us but money has always been a problem,” said the woman, adding that charity groups would not help. Instead, they would tell her mother that she has a husband who must take care of them.
The mother works as an office clerk in an educational institution and earns SR1,500 a month. “My mother has been taking care of the six of us, the rent, the bills and all other expenses,” she said. “She hoped always to keep some cash to pay back some of her debts that now rose to SR250,000.”
After they failed to receive any help from charity organizations, the young woman and her 18-year-old brother looked for jobs. “After my high school education I quit studying in the hope of finding a job. Since then I have been looking for a job but never found any.”
According to her, their mother cannot handle the whole responsibilities on her own. “She (the mother) suffers from severe epilepsy,” which made their life even worse.
The family moved from Tabuk to Madinah in search of a better life. “We tried all means, including consulting charity organizations. The municipality would not help out my mother because to them she is ‘married.’ I have also searched for jobs but without ‘wasta’ we achieve nothing.”
Two months ago, after failing to get any support, the 25-year-old felt she is left with no choice but to sell her kidney in return for some cash that would help her mother out, especially that she has been receiving police warnings.
“I cannot see the sad faces of my family members and stay doing nothing about it. I have posted my will to sell my kidney in discussion boards on the Internet but no one has taken me seriously,” she said. “I insist on it though my mother is not happy with it as she is worried about my health. After announcing my decision, my 23-year-old sister said she would also sell her kidney.”
While outright organ vending is illegal, it is acceptable for families to give financial donations directly to the organ donor rather than through a facilitator, which would constitute a racket.
There are 14 centers in the Kingdom for kidney transplantation, two of which are private. The 14 centers made 382 organ transplants in 2007.
— With input by Yousuf Muhammad
