17-Year-Old Sells Kidney for iPad 2 Money

Do you consider yourself a big Apple fan? Many people do. Thousands line up for hours whenever the Cupertino-based firm launches a new product.

Perhaps it's no surprise, then, that one desperate Chinese teen recently sold one of his kidneys in order to buy an iPad 2.

$3,000 for a Kidney, and an iPad 2

Shanghai Daily reports that in late April a 17-year-old named Anhui Province Zheng sold his kidney for about 20,000 yuan, or about $3,084. He immediately took that big payout to the nearest electronics outlet, purchasing Apple's popular iPad 2.

"I wanted to buy an iPad 2 but could not afford it," Zheng told the Daily. "A broker contacted me on the Internet and said he could help me sell one kidney for 20,000 yuan." (Source: digitaltrends.com)

Health Breaks Down Following Sketchy Surgery

Zheng says that the surgery was carried out at a hospital that failed to meet the necessary standards for organ transplants.

It's little surprise then that his health started to deteriorate shortly after making the iPad 2 purchase. Zheng's spending (he also purchased an iPhone) alerted his mother, who demanded he tell her where the extra cash came from. When Zheng finally broke down and admitted the kidney sale, she contacted police.

Consequences of Transaction Life Threatening

Without two fully-functional kidneys, the human body could cease to function properly.

"The body fills with extra water and waste products. Hands or feet may swell. A person will feel tired and weak because the body needs clean blood to function properly," notes the National Kidney and Urologic Disease Information Clearinghouse.

"Untreated uremia (kidney failure) may lead to seizures or coma and will ultimately result in death. A person whose kidneys stop working completely will need to undergo dialysis or kidney transplantation." (Source: tgdaily.com)

Authorities are currently investigating the matter, but the hospital Zheng says performed the surgery is denying any part in the matter.