Young Saudi woman offers to sell kidney to clear mother's debt

Dubai, Aug 10 (UNI) A 25-year-old Saudi woman has put up her kidney for sale to help her mother in debt after being deserted by her father and getting no help from neither charity nor the government.

''He (the father) abandoned his responsibilities and my mother has been taking care of the six of us, the rent, the bills and all other expenses,'' she said, adding that her mother's ''debts now rose to SR250,000 (Rs 2.5 million).'' ''I have posted my will to sell my kidney in discussion boards on the Internet but no one has taken me seriously,'' she said. ''After announcing my decision, my 23-year-old sister said she would also sell her kidney,'' she added.

While outright organ vending is illegal, it is acceptable for families to give financial donations directly to the organ donor.

There are 14 centers in the Kingdom for kidney transplantation, two of which are private. The 14 centers made 382 organ transplants in 2007.

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