Bored Panda works better on our iPhone app
Continue in app Continue in browser

The Bored Panda iOS app is live! Fight boredom with iPhones and iPads here.

Man Is Sad To See Niblings Being Brainwashed To Hate Him, Decides To Cut Contact With Family
Man looking sad and thoughtful at home, reflecting on family and the pain of niblings being brainwashed to hate him.

Man Is Sad To See Niblings Being Brainwashed To Hate Him, Decides To Cut Contact With Family

32

ADVERTISEMENT

Around 12 people pass away every day while waiting for a kidney… 123,000 Americans are currently on the waiting list for an organ transplant, with 101,000 needing a kidney. There’s a massive shortage, and only 17,000 patients receive one each year. Needless to say, donating an organ is a selfless act that can save a life.

A woman gave her younger brother a kidney about two decades ago, at a time when he really needed it. But he says what he didn’t know was that “the gift came with an asterisk,” and she’s used every opportunity possible to remind him that he owes her. The man, who is now nearing his 40s, is fed up with being blackmailed and guilted. He’s decided to cut his sister out but keep the kidney she gave him.

RELATED:

    His sister donated her kidney to him 20 years ago, and she’s never let him hear the end of it

    Image credits: drazenphoto / Envato (not the actual photo)

    Sick of her blackmailing ways, he’s decided to cut her out, but will be keeping the organ

    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT

    Image credits: egrigorovich / Envato (not the actual photo)

    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT

    Image credits: kcasekim

    What it’s like to donate a kidney, according to someone who has done it for their brother

    “My biggest fear was the anesthesia — what if I wake up during the surgery?” reveals Yadira Ortega, who donated a kidney to her brother, Ricardo in 2020.

    By the time Ricardo found out he had kidney disease, his kidney function had already dropped to around 7%. He started dialysis so that he could qualify for the organ transplant waiting list. In the meantime, all six of his siblings underwent tests to see if they were a match.

    “I knew that if it was me — if I was a match — I was going to do it,” Ortega said during an interview with UCLA Health. “It wasn’t even an option.” It turned out that she was, in fact, a 100% match, while her siblings were not.

    Ortega says that when transplant day finally arrived, she and her brother checked into the hospital around 4am. “My mom was there to make sure we were cool. And my brother’s wife was there with him. You could tell they were scared,” she shared. “My friend was with me, and she was keeping me calm. I was really surprised that I didn’t feel nervous.”

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Image credits: chormail / Envato (not the actual photo)

    ADVERTISEMENT

    The sister adds that she was fine until the anesthesiologist gave me some paperwork to sign. “That’s when I started to feel really nervous and really shaky. My whole body was shaking,” she reveals. She admits to almost backing out of the surgery out of fear.

    Fortunately, the anesthesiologist managed to calm her down.

    “As they were wheeling me out, I remember looking up and seeing my brother. I saw his face, and he was looking right at me. My voice was so shaky, but I tried to play it off, like, “I’ll see you later, right?” I remember getting wheeled out, and I guess in the O.R., but within seconds, I was out,” she recalls.

    When Ortega opened her eyes again, the surgery was already done. She spent much of the rest of the day in and out of sleep. “And when I saw my brother, it was like night and day,” she says. “Like he looked physically healthy. It was so weird. He just looked so good.”

    ADVERTISEMENT

    The organ donor reveals that the first month and a half after the surgery wasn’t always easy. She’d get dizzy when she stood up, and she was very swollen. “It looked like I was pregnant,” Ortega told UCLA Health. “My energy levels were really low. Before surgery, I was working out and running six days a week.”

    She slowly go back into walking and light exercise and at 6 weeks, the doctor gave her the green light to resume all activities without restriction. Today, she’s fit and healthy. She works out daily and runs six days a week.

    “My brother is doing great,” she reveals. “He goes to the gym. He’s coaching my nephew’s soccer team. And as of April [2022], he’s off of all medications.”

    The selfless sister doesn’t throw her “gift” in her brother’s face, nor does she expect constant praise.

    “What I did was nothing compared to what he had to go through,” she says. “I think he’s the one who deserves all the credit.”

    More than 101,000 people in America currently need a kidney, but only around 17,000 will receive one this year

    Image credits: FoToArtist_1 / Envato (not the actual photo)

    ADVERTISEMENT

    According to the National Kidney Foundation, of the 123,000 Americans currently on the waiting list for a lifesaving organ transplant, more than 101,000 need a kidney. The organs are scarce, and only 17,000 people receive one each year. Around 12 people pass away every day while waiting…

    The foundation explains that there are different types of donations. “Living donation takes place when a living person donates an organ or part of an organ to someone in need of a transplant,” notes the site. “The donor is most often a close family member, such as a parent, child, brother, or sister.” But it could also be a more distant relative, a spouse, a friend, or even a co-worker.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    “Non-directed donors – those who donate anonymously and do not know their recipients – are also becoming more common,” reveals the foundation.

    The other type of donation is when someone gives permission for their organs to be donated after they’ve passed away. Often, the organs will go to a stranger on the waiting list.

    According to the National Kidney Foundation, kidneys from living or deceased donors both work well. “But kidneys from a living donor may last longer and are more likely to start working right away than a kidney from a deceased donor,” reveal the experts. “Finding a living donor can also help you get a kidney faster since waiting for a deceased donor kidney can take many years.”

    ADVERTISEMENT

    In terms of how long the donated kidney will last, it can vary. But on average, a kidney from a living donor lasts for about 15 to 20 years, compared to 7 to 10 years for a kidney from someone who has passed away. 

    The kidney recipient’s brother later explained why he doesn’t involve his BIL in the drama

    Some people felt the guy wasn’t completely innocent in the whole equation

    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT

    “Bottom-tier humanity”: many were disgusted by the sister’s behavior

    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT

    Poll Question

    Total votes ·

    Thanks! Check out the results:

    Total votes ·
    Share on Facebook

    Explore more of these tags

    Robyn Smith

    Robyn Smith

    Writer, BoredPanda staff

    Read more »

    Robyn is an award-winning journalist who has produced work for several international media outlets. Made in Africa and exported to the world, she is obsessed with travel and the allure of new places. A lover of words and visuals, Robyn is part of the Bored Panda writing team. This Panda has two bamboo tattoos: A map of Africa & the words "Be Like The Bamboo... Bend Never Break."

    Read less »
    Robyn Smith

    Robyn Smith

    Writer, BoredPanda staff

    Robyn is an award-winning journalist who has produced work for several international media outlets. Made in Africa and exported to the world, she is obsessed with travel and the allure of new places. A lover of words and visuals, Robyn is part of the Bored Panda writing team. This Panda has two bamboo tattoos: A map of Africa & the words "Be Like The Bamboo... Bend Never Break."

    Mindaugas Balčiauskas

    Mindaugas Balčiauskas

    Author, BoredPanda staff

    Read more »

    I'm a visual editor at Bored Panda. I kickstart my day with a mug of coffee bigger than my head, ready to tackle Photoshop. I navigate through the digital jungle with finesse, fueled by bamboo breaks and caffeine kicks. When the workday winds down, you might catch me devouring bamboo snacks while binging on the latest TV show, gaming or I could be out in nature, soaking up the tranquility and communing with my inner panda.

    Read less »

    Mindaugas Balčiauskas

    Mindaugas Balčiauskas

    Author, BoredPanda staff

    I'm a visual editor at Bored Panda. I kickstart my day with a mug of coffee bigger than my head, ready to tackle Photoshop. I navigate through the digital jungle with finesse, fueled by bamboo breaks and caffeine kicks. When the workday winds down, you might catch me devouring bamboo snacks while binging on the latest TV show, gaming or I could be out in nature, soaking up the tranquility and communing with my inner panda.

    What do you think ?
    Smeghead Tribble Down Under
    Community Member
    3 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    S***w the ungrateful fkn cro.tch droppings, they sound like they're going to take after their miserable c unt of a mother. Forget their and the sister's existence and be free and happy.

    NJ P
    Community Member
    1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If kids are old enough, perhaps you can send letter to each via your parents and give your side of the story. Then at least you tried before going NC.

    Alexandra
    Community Member
    15 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Nah, I wouldn't do that. This would only give OP's family more ammunition against him. In this case, it's better to make a clean break and to move on with your life. Some people are not worth having in your life.

    Load More Replies...
    Smeghead Tribble Down Under
    Community Member
    3 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    S***w the ungrateful fkn cro.tch droppings, they sound like they're going to take after their miserable c unt of a mother. Forget their and the sister's existence and be free and happy.

    NJ P
    Community Member
    1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If kids are old enough, perhaps you can send letter to each via your parents and give your side of the story. Then at least you tried before going NC.

    Alexandra
    Community Member
    15 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Nah, I wouldn't do that. This would only give OP's family more ammunition against him. In this case, it's better to make a clean break and to move on with your life. Some people are not worth having in your life.

    Load More Replies...
    You May Like
    Related on Bored Panda
    Popular on Bored Panda
    Trending on Bored Panda
    Also on Bored Panda
    ADVERTISEMENT