Ohio has rejected a request from a death row inmate who wanted to donate his organs to his family because he wouldn't be recovered in time for his execution.
The state Department of Rehabilitation and Correction said that Ronald Phillips had been given a deadline of March 23 to undergo surgery to donate his kidney to his ailing mother, reports Reuters, but no movement ever seemed to be made to go through with it. His mother never even was added to the federal waiting list for an organ donation.
The 40-year-old was found guilty of raping and killing his girlfriend's 3-year-old girl in 1993 and was originally sentenced to die in November, but was given a chance to go through surgery to donate his kidney to his mother.
Originally Phillips had requested that his organs be harvested after he was executed, but that request was denied as the department claimed it did not have the capability.
According to The Associated Press, the state denied his request since he needed to have enough time to recover to be healthy for his July 2 execution date.
"Anyone who's undergone surgery, it's humane to have time to heal," a spokeswoman, Ricky Seyfang, for the department said.