White Russian claims liver from African American donor has turned his skin black

zwiebel

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A previously very pale-skinned Russian man has claimed a liver transplant from a 38-year-old African American donor has caused his skin to turn black.

Semen Gendler isn't bothered as he's just happy to be healthy, whatever his skin color, but he says his doctors in Krasnodar are mystified by the change. He went to the US for the $500,000 operation as there's a shortage of donors in Russia. The businessman has homes in both Russia and New York, which may explain how he was able to get the transplant in America, where there is also a donor shortage.

Hard to tell from the photo, but it looks more like jaundice to me? The reason for the transplant was cancer and hep C. Gendler is sure it's not a suntan as he says he never sunbathes.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/white-man-claims-hes-turning-6064891

http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/2015...liver-transplant-from-african-american-donor/
 

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Googling jaundice brings up images of people with a much yellower skin tone. I'm trying to search in Russian for the original source of this story - I'm not convinced it's not a hoax.
 
Searching for 'liver transplant Krasnodar' doesn't seem to bring anything up in Russian. And there is a problem with trying to translate the name, for obvious reasons.

I just don't trust these viral stories that lack an original report in a local paper somewhere. I don't know. I'm taking it with a pinch of salt.

ETA: First liver transplant in Krasnodar wasn't carried out until 2010. It's a big city to have lacked transplant facilities for so long.

http://translate.google.de/translat...//www.vesti.ru/doc.html?id=358959&prev=search
 
Found the source article in Russian!

It's just mad - a long tale of the KGB and how inventor Semen made his fortune, then an addition about his skin color change, and a claim that US doctors have told him donated organs from someone of a different color can change the recipient's color!!??

Here is the google translated article. Hope it works.

http://translate.google.de/translat.../www.kp.ru/daily/26404.3/3279003/&prev=search
 
IMHO, people with liver problems from whatever cause, tend to have darker skin over time. Especially the 3-4 decades between those 2 supposed pictures of this gentleman. But good for a laugh today! Has the Soviet Union changed at all in our lifetimes?! Or perhaps I should say their journalism!
On second thought, is there a large African-American community in Russia? Most US transplants have a very short fixed window from the time the organ is removed until it has to be used. Do we have an express liver transplant air carrier to Russia? With their love of vodka, somebody could be making money on flights without passengers!
 
Ummm...that doesn't even look like the same person, IMO. Foreheads are different, chins are different, eyebrows are different, nose is wider, lips are fuller.
 
IMHO, people with liver problems from whatever cause, tend to have darker skin over time. Especially the 3-4 decades between those 2 supposed pictures of this gentleman. But good for a laugh today! Has the Soviet Union changed at all in our lifetimes?! Or perhaps I should say their journalism!
On second thought, is there a large African-American community in Russia? Most US transplants have a very short fixed window from the time the organ is removed until it has to be used. Do we have an express liver transplant air carrier to Russia? With their love of vodka, somebody could be making money on flights without passengers!

It says he went to the US for the surgery, not that the liver went there. It still sounds like a crock to me. If a transplant makes a person's complexion darker, I'd think it would be by returning it to its natural color (rather than a paler complexion many sick people have.)

MOO
 
It says he went to the US for the surgery, not that the liver went there. It still sounds like a crock to me. If a transplant makes a person's complexion darker, I'd think it would be by returning it to its natural color (rather than a paler complexion many sick people have.)

MOO
ITA. In the image on the left, he just looks very sickly. After getting the liver transplant, he would naturally regain his color as he became healthier.
 
It's late. I've had a glass if wine...and I just can't get past his name. :laughing:
 

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