'I refuse to donate my kidney to my dying sister because of who she married'

A man has ignited a fiery debate after he refused to donate a kidney to his sister, who is on her deathbed because she married his high school tormentor. The 35-year-old shared his story of being "bullied severely" in school over his sexuality and now faces the bully at every family event since his sister married him.

He detailed his ordeal on Reddit : "When I was in high school, I was bullied severely by Darren*. I won't go into the details, but it was really bad, past the point of typical high school douchebaggery. In my sophomore year, I made the mistake of coming out to one of my friends, who promptly spread this information around the school."

"Before this, Darren had targeted me for being unathletic and wearing glasses and had done this to a couple of other kids as well, but after I was outed it was only me, and only because of my sexuality." He managed to leave those painful memories behind when he went off to college, where he found a new circle of friends and even a boyfriend.

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However, his past came back to haunt him when his sister, Ellie*, brought home her new boyfriend, Darren, during a family holiday. He recounted: "No joke, the first thing he said when he saw me was 'Damn Ellie, you didn't tell me your brother's a ***'" To his dismay, Ellie, along with their father, laughed at the comment.

Shocked and hurt, he chose not to engage in a confrontation and simply walked away.

"After the fact, my family tried to play it off as Darren was joking because he was nervous meeting the family, and they told me that he and Ellie were serious so I had to get over it."

In a fit of frustration, he declared his refusal to attend any family gatherings if Darren was present and confided in his sister about how her relationship with Darren was causing him pain.

He recounted: "She basically called me too sensitive and told me she has the right to date who she likes, which yeah she does. Since then, I've been putting distance between myself and my family, who seem to have readily accepted Darren into the fold. ".

But the situation took a dramatic turn when his mother contacted him after Ellie was hospitalized and in need of a kidney transplant. He continued: "The rest of the family had been tested and none could donate, and my mum wanted me to get tested because I'm her full brother with a high likelihood of a match. The thing is, after all these years, Ellie is basically a stranger to me."

He expressed his dilemma: "If I were to do this, I'd have to drive three states back to my hometown, miss who knows how much work, and give up a piece of my flesh, all for the woman who dated and eventually married the guy who made my high school days a living hell."

When he informed his mother of his decision not to get tested, her reaction was explosive. He said: "I told my mum that I wouldn't be getting tested, and she freaked out at me over the phone. I quickly hung up on her, but before I did I heard her call me vindictive and a monster for refusing to save my sister's life. I admit I feel guilty about it."

Several users applauded the man for prioritizing his wellbeing, while some speculated over the potential misalignment in terms of compatibility. One user expressed: "Don't feel guilty, she chose a person who was a monster to you growing up and insulted you as soon as he saw you later on as an adult. F*** her and her kidneys. I'd go no contact if I was you, I went no contact on my family and couldn't be happier! ".

Another user conveyed: "When our family is toxic like yours is, we need to cut them out like a tumor. It's your body and your choice. They have not treated you like you matter so they will reap what they sowed. They are the assholes, not you. You are not guilty."

A third user commented: "You are not obligated to donate your kidney to anyone, let alone someone who treated you the way your sister did. We all must live with the consequences of our behaviour and actions."