Why Did Charles Cullen From The Good Nurse Donate His Kidney?
, Cullen received a newspaper clipping of a story about a man in need of a kidney donor with the note "Can you help," written in cursive. The man in need turned out to be Ernie Peckham, a husband, and father of four who worked as a metal shaper in Farmingdale, New York. According to, Ernie was the brother of Cullen's former girlfriend, who was also the mother of Cullen's youngest child, a daughter he had never seen.
After submitting the necessary blood tests, Cullen was found to be a perfect match and donor for Ernie. Cullen, who was still awaiting sentencing, wanted to be an anonymous donor to prevent news of his involvement from spreading throughout the media, but someone leaked the story to the press. Cullen's lawyer Johnnie Mask opened up toabout what happened once Cullen was proven to be a match.
Despite Cullen's insistence, the delays continued for months. "I don't know what's true now. We thought it would happen in January. Stony Brook keeps giving us new dates—they're saying April now; before, it was March. And Charlie's getting more aggravated every day. I think [allowing the] donation was always just a big dangling carrot to get Charlie to jump." Cullen was finally allowed to donate his kidney in August 2006.
Cullen also dished on why he didn't want to attend his sentencing in the first place, "I mean, you know, who would want to go," he said."The detectives suggested that I offer to go, to speed the donation along. They said I needed to give them something. But that's not me holding a gun to the prosecution. It's the other way around!" Although he was admitted to committing dozens of senseless murders, Cullen believed that he could still bring good into the world.
Despite the speculation, Cullen explained what inspired him to donate his kidney. "I know a lot of people find it surprising that someone like me would want to do this, donate. But for me, it's totally consistent. For me, as a nurse, it's what I would do, what I would have always done. It's who I am. But if you need to wonder why I should or why someone like me would, well, it really depends on how you think of people. And what you think people are capable of.
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