On Grace and Kidneys

My alternate title for this post is...

I Want My Kidneyback, Kidneyback, Kidneyback (sung to the tune from the Chili's babyback ribs commercial)


Dr. Richard Batista is in the middle of a divorce and wants his kidney back from his wife (or the 1.5 million dollar equivalent). This story will be a hit this evening with talk show hosts like Dave Letterman, Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien. It will also make great material for Comedy Centrals' Colbert Report and The Daily Show With Jon Stewart. Tune in to see.

But it's also petty and quite sad. First off, another marriage (with kids) has ended in divorce. There are accusations of extra-marital affairs. And now the soon-to-be ex-husband is taking his case to the public to sling some mud. If this man was betrayed by his wife he has every right to be upset, but asking for a kidney back is quite another thing.

He said he gave his kidney to Dawnell Batista, now 44, in June 2001. She filed for divorce in July 2005, although he claims she began having an extramarital affair 18 months to two years after receiving the kidney transplant, his attorney, Dominick Barbara said....

Batista, 49, said he has no regrets about donating the kidney, only about the failed marriage. The couple was married in 1990 and lived in a million-dollar home in Massapequa. They met while he was working at a hospital and she was training to be a nurse.

He still recalls the day after the surgery took place. "There is no greater feeling on this planet. As God is my witness, I felt as if I could put my arm around Jesus Christ. It was an unbelievable; I was walking on a cloud. To this day I would still do it again."

Would he REALLY do it again? Sure, for a cool $1.5 million--but technically speaking, that would leave him without any kidneys to call his own. Jesus Christ gave us both of His kidneys, and his lungs, and his liver, his spleen, his heart, his blood. He was pierced for our transgressions. He never asked for anything back in return.