A death row inmate in Texas has asked to have his execution delayed in order for him to donate his kidney.
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An inmate on death row has asked for a stay of execution in order to donate a kidney.
The inmate, known as Ramiro Gonzales, is scheduled to be executed through lethal injection in just over a week.
However Gonzales has appealed for the execution to be delayed for just one month longer so that he can be considered as a ‘living donor’ to “someone in urgent need of a kidney tr
His legal team have also asked the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles for a six-month reprieve in connection with the requested donation.
Gonzales was sentenced to death for the kidnapping, sexual assault, and murder of 18-year-old Bridget Townsend.
Her remains were not found for over two years.
Gonzales was reportedly discovered to be an ‘excellent candidate’ for donation due to his Type-B blood type, which is rare.
And Cantor Zoosman, a Jewish clergyman who has been in contact with Gonzales since January 2021, believes his kidney transplant request is not just to extend his own life.
“There has been no doubt in my mind that Ramiro’s desire to be an altruistic kidney donor is not motivated by a last-minute attempt to stop or delay his execution. I will go to my grave believing in my heart that this is something that Ramiro wants to do to help make his soul right with his God.”
Lawyers have also asked for the parole board to commute his death sentence and to allow a spiritual advisor to hold Gonzales’ hand during the execution.