Cyber bully targets double transplant patient (From Darlington and Stockton Times)

Cyber bully targets double transplant patient

6:03pm Sunday 4th November 2012 in News By Ian Noble, Reporter (Shildon and Spennymoor)

A MAN whose life was saved by a heart and lung transplant has been targeted by an internet troll who told him he did not deserve the new organs.

Chris Richardson, 28, from Newcastle, was born with a congenital heart defect which meant he spent much of his childhood in a wheelchair.

He underwent a lifesaving double transplant at the Freeman Hospital, in Newcastle, five years ago.

He takes daily medication to prevent his body rejecting the donor organs and requires steroid injections which can cause weight gain.

Chris has more than 1,000 Twitter followers, including Nadine Coyle of Girls Aloud, but he was targeted by a female Twitter writer from America last Tuesday. (Oct 30).

The woman sent Chris a message criticising him for being overweight and suggesting he was a letdown to the donor's family.

The message read: “You are overweight and a disgrace to your donor. You do not deserve a transplant.”

Chris said: “I could not believe what had been said. It was pathetic and I immediately blocked the bully from my Twitter page.

“I use Twitter to try and encourage people to join the Organ Donor Register so I was shocked to see a message like this.

“I can’t believe someone would say such a thing about my weight, especially when they don’t even know me.”

He is not taking the matter any further, but Northumbria Police take cyber bullying seriously.

A police spokesman said: “People need to be aware that what they say on sites such as Facebook and Twitter could cause distress and even get them into a lot of trouble.”