Deborah Stevens didn't think twice about donating her kidney to her boss. She thought she was doing the right thing, but she had no idea how this once decision would turn her life upside down.
Shortly after the donor nephrectomy, Deborah was fired without cause. She didn't understand what she had done wrong. It was only one week later that she learned the hard-to-swallow truth.
Best Friends
When Deborah overheard that her boss, Jacqueline Brucia, needed a kidney, she decided that she would become a kidney donor.
Deborah and Jacqueline were best friends, and she was ready to do anything for her. But things would take a dramatic turn soon after.
Strong Bond
Jacqueline would always visit Deborah's cubical, and the two would talk about their families and lives. Their bond grew stronger with each passing day.
Deborah was there for her through thick and thin. But she had no idea how her good deed would backfire on her.
Ready For Anything
Jacqueline was grateful that Debora offered to be her kidney donor. She said thank you to her best friend one more time before going into surgery.
Deborah knew it would take her a long time to recover, but she was ready for what was about to come — or so she thought.
After The Surgery
When Deborah woke up a few hours later, the doctors informed her that there had been some complications during the procedure.
She suffered nerve damage on her left leg that would most likely be permanent. But that wasn't even the worst news.
She Didn't Reach Out
Jacqueline didn't reach out to Deborah after the surgery to see if she was okay. She had a long road of recovery ahead of her that would take a toll on her physical and mental health.
On her first day back at work, Deborah was greeted by her manager Brucia, who didn't even bother asking how she was feeling. Then, a few weeks later, she would be out of a job for the most bizarre reason. It turns out that her boss wasn't who she thought she was...
Fired
One day, Deborah was called into her manager's office.
“We’re letting you go. You’re taking too long to heal. You’ve milked this surgery long enough. We can’t afford to carry a dead weight that doesn’t make us money," Brucia said.
In Shock
Deborah couldn't believe what she was hearing. She sat there, shocked, trying to find a response.
Was her manager being serious? Or was she joking?
Complaints
Brucia explained to Deborah that she had received several complaints about her performance, and she had no other choice but to let her go.
Deborah felt her world fall apart. How could she have been so stupid to risk her life for someone who doesn't even care about her?
Excuses
Brucia told Deborah that she had been late on several occasions, was unproductive, created a toxic work environment, and used guilt of the surgery to get money for doing nothing.
These were just a fraction of the excuses her manager gave.
Broken
Deborah packed her things and drove home. She cried for hours in her car before she finally mustered the courage to face her family at home.
As she sat in her lawyer's office, she felt pain and the empty space where her kidney used to be. She knew she couldn't let them get away with his.
Support
Deborah contacted several news outlets to share her story. People from all over the world responded with endless support and kind messages.
But what would the evil manager say about this?
No Comment
It was a simple "no comment" from Brucia's side. She didn't feel guilty for firing Deborah. She simply didn't care.
Little did she know, she would soon be slapped with a lawsuit for suffering, pain, and damages.
A Kind Soul
“I stand by my act of kindness,” Debrah said.
She doesn't regret donating her kidney. She knows she did the right thing, and she will continue showing love and generosity to people.
Decent Human Behavior
Deborah wants her children to see her as an example of decent human behavior.
However, she will never let anyone walk all over her again.