Woman Donated A Kidney To Her Boss — Then Was Fired Soon After

A woman who made the life-changing decision to donate one of her kidneys to her boss says she was eventually let go from her job afterward.

Debbie Stevens, who was 47 at the time and living on Long Island, shared that she felt deeply 'betrayed' when her employer dismissed her back in 2012, only months after the surgery.

"I decided to become a kidney donor to my boss, and she took my heart," Debbie told The Post at the time.

"I feel very betrayed. This has been a very hurtful and horrible experience for me. She just took this gift and put it on the ground and kicked it.''"

According to legal filings, Debbie first met her boss Jackie Brucia in January 2009 when she began working at Atlantic Automotive Group on Long Island. The two developed a professional relationship during her time there.

Stevens later left the company in 2010 after relocating, but upon returning to Long Island she stopped by the office and learned that Brucia was facing serious health issues and in need of a kidney transplant. This set the stage for the dramatic turn of events that followed.

Debbie recalled that Brucia told her a potential donor had been identified, but she offered that if necessary she would step forward and donate one of her kidneys to help her former boss.

"Brucia... told her, 'You never know, I may have to take you up on that offer one day,'" the legal documents stated.

Not long afterward, Stevens made the decision to move back permanently to Long Island. When she did, she reached out to Brucia and asked if she could return to her old position at the company, which Brucia allowed.

Stevens offered to donate one of her kidneys CBS

After settling back into her role, Stevens said Brucia eventually called her into her office for a private conversation.

According to Stevens, Brucia told her: "My donor was denied. Were you serious when you said that?' I said, 'Sure, yeah.' She was my boss, I respected her. It's just who I am. I didn't want her to die."

Although Stevens turned out not to be a direct match for her boss, doctors still allowed her to donate a kidney to another patient as part of a paired donation program. This ensured that Brucia would move further up the transplant waiting list and get the organ she needed more quickly.

"I felt I was giving her life back," Stevens shared while describing her mindset going into the procedure.

"My kidney ended up going to St. Louis, Missouri, and hers came from San Francisco."

She added that after undergoing the surgery she began experiencing complications. Despite this, she felt pressured to return to work sooner than she was ready, saying she worried about how her absence would be perceived by her boss and coworkers.

Stevens explained she wasn't a perfect match for Brucia Getty Stock Photo

On one occasion, after leaving work early because she felt unwell, Stevens said Brucia phoned her at home, asking: "She... said, 'What are you doing? Why aren't you at work?' I told her I didn't feel good."

"She said, 'You can't come and go as you please. People are going to think you're getting special treatment.'"

Stevens also alleged that her working conditions changed drastically following the operation. She claimed her private office was taken away, she was denied overtime opportunities, and she was reassigned to a dealership located 50 miles from her home. These changes, she said, took a toll on her mental health.

"She just started treating me horribly, viciously, inhumanly after the surgery," Stevens told ABCNews.com during an interview.

"It was almost like she hired me just to get my kidney."

Her lawyers eventually sent a formal letter of complaint to the company. Not long after that, Stevens said she was officially terminated from her position.

Debbie claims she was fired from the company not long after YouTube/Newsday

At the time the story surfaced, both Atlantic Automotive Group and Jackie Brucia declined to comment when contacted by ABC News and The Post.

However, Brucia’s husband, James, defended her in a statement, calling the allegations 'far from the truth' and insisting that she 'didn't fire anybody'.