Man sues wife for refusing to donate her liver to save his life

A man took legal action against his wife and divorced her for refusing to donate an organ to save him.

As reported by South China Morning Post, the individual from South Korea sued his partner for malicious abandonment and then filed for divorce after the latter refused to donate a part of her liver for his treatment.

The husband was diagnosed with a rare liver disease called primary biliary cirrhosis. He was told by his doctors to get a transplant as he only had one year to live.

To help with the costs, his parents sold their house while his wife cared for him at his bedside.

Medical tests revealed that the wife was an ideal donor to the transplant as her HLA (Human Leukocyte Antigen) compatibility exceeded 95%. But when the husband asked her to push through with the operation, she refused, informing the doctors and his family that she had a “pathological fear of needles and sharp objects."

The husband reportedly told her, “What’s the point of nursing me? You just want to see me die. You might as well kill me.” His parents seconded: “Do you want to watch your husband die?”

In the end, the liver transplant went through successfully as a donor was found in a brain-dead patient.

Per the media outlet, the man investigated his wife's claims, discovering that she had previously undergone appendicitis surgery and blood tests with no complications.

During a confrontation, the wife admitted that her earlier reason was an excuse, explaining that she had a deep fear of surgery risks and anxiety about her two daughters possibly losing their mother if things went south.

The man then filed the case in anger, citing his spouse's alleged failure in spousal duties.

But the court ruled in favor of the wife, saying that organ donation is a matter of personal bodily autonomy and cannot be compelled, even between spouses. It also cited the husband’s coercion and verbal abuse as contributing to an erosion of trust in their marriage, making him primarily responsible for the relationship’s breakdown.

Even the wife’s refusal, the court said, was a reasonable concern for her children's well-being.

The couple subsequently agreed to divorce, with the wife retaining custody of the children while still providing financial support to her ex-husband’s medical recovery.

The two are both in their early 30s and were married for three years.