Kindness punished: Boss fires worker who gave her a kidney

[Kellie]

A woman who donated a kidney to save her boss’s life is suing after allegedly being fired for taking too much sick leave after the operation.


New York mother-of-two Debbie Stevens, 47, offered her kidney to her boss Jackie Brucia, 61, who was struggling to find an organ donor, the New York Post reports.

Ms Stevens filed legal action in New York's Human Rights Court on Friday seeking millions of dollars compensation after she was allegedly fired when her boss "got what she wanted".

"I decided to become a kidney donor to my boss, and she took my heart," Ms Stevens said.

"I feel very betrayed. This has been a very hurtful and horrible experience for me. She just took this gift and put it on the ground and kicked it."

The Long Island divorcee first met Ms Brucia while employed as a clerical worker for car dealership firm Atlantic Automotive Group (AAG) in January 2009.

In September 2010, Ms Brucia revealed her "need for a kidney transplant" to Ms Stevens, but said she had found a potential donor.

Because she was a "naturally kind and generous person", Ms Stevens said she would be willing to donate a kidney, court papers quoted by the New York Post claim.

Soon after, Ms Brucia approached her employee again and revealed the organ donor had fallen through and asked whether she was "serious" when she offered to be a donor.

"She was my boss, I respected her. It's just who I am. I didn't want her to die," Ms Stevens said in court papers.

The pair proceeded with the organ donation but discovered Ms Stevens' kidney was not a perfect match for Ms Brucia.

The employee instead donated a kidney for another patient in exchange for a suitable organ for her boss.

After the operation, Ms Stevens said she was in pain but felt pressured to return to work before she was fully recovered while Ms Brucia remained at home.

On one occasion when Ms Stevens went home sick for three days, her boss allegedly called her from home to berate her.

"You can't come and go as you please," her boss allegedly said, quoted in the Daily Mail.

"People are going to think you're getting special treatment."

She was eventually demoted and moved to a dealership 75km away before being fired after her lawyers wrote the company a letter, according to court papers.

Ms Brucia's husband James has dismissed the claims as "far from the truth".

ninemsn

 

[Postman Dave]

absolutely gobsmacking.

 

[Wang Chung]

This is absolutely ridiculous.

Sent from my PG86100 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Hidden Blaze]

If I had a business r something I'd hire her cause it's clear she's a great person if she'd give a kidney to her boss, People get sick after things like this and her boss should had understand that and not become some little bitch about it.

 

[Hoss]

This is indeed the world we live in, when 2/3 of the big shots in this world would sooner fuck over a lesser person as they would look at them. There's good in the world, but some people just don't have a regard for basic human rights, nor any passion for anyone but themselves. Sad day.

 

[TroyTheAverage]

That just goes to show you, you don't give up your organs.