For the first time in the U.S. since AIDS screening began 25 years ago, an organ recipient at a city hospital has contracted HIV from a live donor. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the male kidney donor passed the initial screening, but in between the screening and the donation in 2009, had unprotected sex with another man. Testing on the patient a year after surgery confirmed he or she had contracted HIV. more ›

Widow Kimberly Liew, whose husband Vincent died in 2002 after contracting uterine cancer from an infected kidney transplant, was shocked when a judge ruled that NYU Medical Center was not liable for Vincent's death. Liew, who was suing for $3 million, won't receive any money, even though the family of another patient who died after receiving a diseased organ from donor Sandy Cabrera was awarded $750,000 from the hospital. Liew said that despite the verdict, "It's very important for the world to know what happened to him. Hopefully, it will save lives." more ›

On trial for transplanting a cancerous kidney into patient Vincent Liew, Dr. Thomas Diflo attempted to argue yesterday that he was not to blame for Liew's death. Diflo says Liew was "adamant" that he keep the kidney, despite being told of the risks. Liew allegedly did not want to go back on dialysis. However, Dr. Diflo became offended at the suggestion that his statement blames Liew for the wrongful-death, saying in court, "I had great affection for Mr. Liew and his opinions. To even float the idea that I blamed him for his death is ridiculous." more ›

Though the United Network for Organ Sharing didn't have time to check recipient Vincent Liew's new kidney, it's not like they had any warning: donor Sandy Cabrera didn't even know she had cancer. After suffering a stroke, she was raced to St. Luke's Cornwall Hospital in Newburgh, where doctors said she would never recover, and spoke to Cabrera's daughter about organ donation. more ›

Organ recipient Vincent Liew died seven months after his kidney transplant at NYU Medical Center in 2002 from uterine cancer—a disease only women get. It turns out that NYU had transplanted a cancerous kidney into Liew's body, and now his widow is suing the doctors responsible. Kimberly Liew's lawyer says the kidney was "covered in tumors" when it was put Vincent's body, but doctors didn't learn that it had come from a cancerous donor until two months after the transplant. more ›

Eric Seemann of Levittown was surfing the internet when he learned that he might be able to save a Philadephia cop's life by providing him with a much-needed kidney. But he didn't across the news that 41-year-old Jeff Romanoff was suffering kidney failure on his only remaining kidney on a donor list website, but rather on the message board for Vader's Fist 501st Legion, a group of over 4,000 fans worldwide who dress up like various villains from the franchise. But the clone troopers were not lining up when things looked critical for Romanoff, who suffers from Von Hippel-Lindau disease. Seemann told the Post, "They weren't actually asking members of the group to get themselves tested [for compatibility]. But I thought about it. They hadn't asked for it, but I stepped up." After learning they were a match, the two underwent surgery on April 3rd and Romanoff was released from the hospital Saturday. The operating surgeon didn't miss a beat, saying, "I've never operated on a stormtrooper before. And I've never operated on Darth, either." more ›

Confirmed: The battle between the divorcing Long Island husband and wife that revolves around an alleged affair and the value of a donated kidney is getting nasty. Dr. Richard Batista contends that estranged wife Dawnell should give him back the kidney he donated to her—or give him the value of the organ—since he claims she had an affair and wants the divorce. However, Dawnell Batista denies there was an affair; her lawyer told reporters that Richard Batista is "hyper suspicious" and "would rummage through her underwear drawer sniffing her underwear [to see if she had cheated]." Um, okay. She is hoping the judge will issue a gag order, but her husband's lawyer believes his client has the right to talk about the case, "This is a man who put his life on the line, and his wife has treated him like a piece of dirt." more ›

A Long Island doctor is demanding that his estranged wife give him back the kidney he donated to her seven years ago. Dr. Richard Batista's lawyer Dominic Barbara says his client would also be satisfied with the value of the kidney: $1.5 million. more ›