Was iPhone Worth It?

Liam wanted the latest iPhone. There is nothing wrong about it, especially for an immature mind. But the route he followed to get it was a dangerous one. Read on to find out what kind of risk Liam took just for an iPhone.

A young boy named Liam wanted an iPhone. Some of his schoolmates had it. He was jealous of them and the attention they received from other fellow students. He craved the attention they got. He belonged to a lower middle-class family. He asked his father to give him money so that he could buy an iPhone. But his father refused because his budget was tight.However, his father patted him and said, “Son you are in the second half of your last school year. Only four months are left before your finals. You should focus on your studies right now and not on such things. A new gadget will only divert your attention. You study well and get admission in a good college, and I will try my best to arrange money for it.”

Liam was disappointed, as he didn’t want to wait for another four months. Moreover, then he would not get a chance to show it off to his school buddies. He decided to do something about the money himself. He shared his thoughts with Sam, his best friend. Sam suggested that he could work in a nearby restaurant or mall to save money. But Liam didn’t like this idea as this could take months. He wanted to get an iPhone soon. He didn’t have the patience to wait for it. His immature mind was ready to do anything to get it.

Liam recalled that his uncle had once donated one of his kidneys to his grandfather. At that time, the doctors had informed them that humans could survive on one kidney. His uncle donated his kidney four years ago. His uncle was hale and hearty. He decided to sell his kidney.

But then, after exploring he realized it was not possible. No good doctor of any reputed hospital would do such a surgery. As he was not donating but selling the kidney, it would be considered illegal.

But Liam was adamant. He decided to explore some other way to sell his kidney. He looked for any greedy doctor who could buy his kidney. Within a week, he could find some people who posed as doctors in a nearby village. They were not bona-fide doctors, but they treated innocent villagers and poor people.

Liam contacted one of them and told him that he wanted to sell his kidney. The so-called doctor told him that he had to involve some other persons who would arrange someone who needed a kidney transplant. Liam told him that he wanted a good deal. The phony doctor assured him that they would get him the best deal.

The doctor contacted Liam after a week and asked him to meet them. Liam went to their clinic, and they told him that they could find a great deal for him. He was told that he would be getting $2000. Liam thought that the money was less and asked them how much they were keeping. They told him that they were just keeping $500 for operation and other expenses.

Liam asked them to extract more money from the buyer. But they told him that the man who had agreed to buy the kidney was poor and could not afford more. And it was the only available deal. Liam thought that the money was less but still sufficient for his iPhone. He agreed and donated his kidney. He decided to buy his new iPhone next week. Perhaps he would buy an iPad as well.

Next day, Liam started feeling uncomfortable. He thought it was just some temporary side-effects. But instead of getting better, his condition started to deteriorate. He had no option but to inform his parents. He told his father that he had sold his kidney to buy an iPhone. His parents immediately took him to the hospital. There he was diagnosed with renal deficiency, which was gradually deteriorating.

Moreover, police filed a case against the phony doctor and Liam. During investigation, it was revealed that the doctor, who paid Liam only $2000, had actually charged $18000 from the customer. Now Liam’s doctors are trying to find a kidney donor to save him.

~ Priya Sarin