Has Liver Transplant Turned Man Dark Skinned?

A white man claimed that he’s turning black following a liver transplant from African-American donor.

16:28 15 July 2015

 

 

 A white man who received a new liver from an African-American donor claims that he is “turning black” following the operation. 

 

 Semen Gendler, a 65-year-old inventor from Russia, was in urgent need of a liver after he was diagnosed with hepatitis C and cancer. He was told that his only hope was a liver transplant.

 

 Mr Gendler said: "Russian doctors made it quite clear to me that if I didn't have a liver transplant I would not live.

 

 "I do a lot of business in the US with partners in New York, and I asked them to help me arrange for the operation where if you have enough money it is possible to do it more quickly than in Russia.

 

 "Fortunately I was able to afford the cost of the $500,000 [£325,000] operation, in Russia I would have had to wait too long for a donor."

 

 The new liver seemed to work just fine. However, Gendler’s friend noticed that he was getting darker following the operation. 

 

 Igor Atamanenko said: "I noticed that his skin was getting darker. When he told me they had given him the liver of an African-American man, I guess that was probably the reason for the colour change.

 

"I have known my friend for years and he has always been if anything extremely pale, and now for the first time ever he is becoming dark skinned."

 

However, Gendler isn’t bothered.

 

He said: "I could end up much darker than this to be honest, I don't care. The main thing is that the liver works and I am healthy.

 

"It's incredible, I am now so full of energy and living between two cities in New York and Krasnodar and if my skin ends up dark who cares, I certainly don't."