08/29/2026
In 2001, Long Island vascular surgeon Dr. Richard Batista donated one of his kidneys to his wife, Dawnell Batista, who was suffering from acute renal failure following two previous failed organ transplants. In 2005, Dawnell filed for divorce, prompting a contentious four-year legal dispute in the Nassau County Supreme Court. During matrimonial settlement negotiations in 2009, Dr. Batista filed a formal legal motion demanding either the physical return of his donated kidney or $1.5 million in monetary compensation as an equitable distribution of marital assets. Court matrimonial referee Jeffrey Grob firmly rejected the request, ruling that human organs cannot legally be treated, valued, or distributed as marital property. The court emphasized that a transplanted organ constitutes an irrevocable gift, noting that federal law strictly prohibits the commercial sale or commodification of human anatomical gifts.