Between break-ups, career shifts, and aging family, adulthood is packed with tough decisions and conversations. Perhaps the most difficult one you’ll likely have will be having to tell your sick uncle that you can’t give him your kidney because you’re saving it for two-time Golden Globe winner Sandra Oh. Tricky, for sure! But don’t worry, here are some ways to make that dreaded talk a bit easier on you and your beloved unc (just not as beloved as Mrs. Oh).
Be honest.
This moment is not one for coyness. When your uncle enters renal failure, looks directly into your eyes and asks for your healthy superfluous organ, tell him the truth: that it’s actually reserved for the portrayer of Eve in Killing Eve. Explain to him that, sure, there’s absolutely zero indication that you and Oh would be a match, medically speaking, but that emotionally, you feel an innate and unshakeable bond with the woman who brought the iconic Dr. Cristina Yang to life 14 years ago.
Be straightforward.
Remind your dying uncle that all your other vital organs are, too, reserved for Sandra Oh. If he’s having trouble understand, try another approach: show him the scene from season 3 of Grey’s Anatomy where Cristina demands Meredith cut her out of her wedding dress. Or, watch the entirety of Killing Eve in one sitting with him. Hopefully this will help him understand why we, as a society, need to keep Sandra Oh alive at all costs.
Assure him it’s nothing personal.
If you had an extra body to extract organs from, of course you’d toss your uncle a kidney, as long as Nicole Kidman didn’t need one. But unfortunately, the human body only has one to spare, and yours is dogeared to the 2019 Golden Globes host who holds the key to the city of Ottawa, completely unbeknownst to (but probably appreciated by!) her.
Tell him you can support him in other ways.
Tell your uncle you’ll be with him every step of the way through his treatment—all the way through surgery, if he ever gets off the transplant list. Offer to spend some quality time with him Maybe binge some Grey’s, a show someone stuck him a hospital bed would undoubtedly love. Once he sees Cristina and Meredith grinding on George to Interpol’s “Evil,” he’ll absolutely understand why you’ve made this choice.
Ultimately, it’s important to assure your uncle, who was really counting on you to donate a kidney, that this decision is coming from a place of love. It’s not a matter of loving one person more than another (though, to be clear, you love Sandra much more than him). He’ll have to understand!
