Transplant Myths & Urban Legends

Stop if you've heard this story. A man awakens to find himself lying in a bathtub filled with ice. Groggy, he looks down to read a message written on his chest, which advises him to "Call 911 or you will die." He later finds that one of his kidneys have been stolen for sale on the black market.

This story, according to several law enforcement agencies, is a so-called urban legend, a myth set in modern times. According to the collectors of such legends, as well as numerous legitimate organ-gathering foundations, it is but one of several such stories that have circled the globe via the Internet.

Often, the story is lent a false air of legitimacy with official-sounding warnings such as "Business Traveler's Advisory," or false testimonials from people who claim they've known it to happen to friends of theirs. As a result, the kidney theft myth continues to show uncanny staying power.

The most recent instance of the story surfaced on the Internet's Usenet in January, when it appeared under the headings "Kidney Theft" and "Reasons Not To Party." In this version, the victim is a college student who overindulges and soon finds himself in the same position as the fictitious business traveler.

Collectors of such stories report the tale first surfaced in 1991. By 1993, the story had become a plot element in a film, The Harvest, in which a Hollywood screenwriter has a kidney stolen while vacationing in Mexico.

The pattern here is clear, but there are other myths and legends surrounding organ donation that may make potential donors queasy, to say the least. See "Related Links" below for more myths - like the one that suggests some doctors may be a little too eager to get at those organs when a potential donor checks into the hospital.

Written by Sean Wolfe with graphic design by Laura Holder