Michael Zoosman, the co-founder of an advocacy group called L’chaim: Jews Against the Death Penalty, first became involved in the case of Ramiro Gonzales, a man on death row in Texas, after writing a letter to Gonzales last year; something his organization does routinely for inmates with scheduled execution dates. During their correspondence, Zoosman mentioned that a congregant needed a kidney. Although not a match, rather than give up, Gonzales still wanted to be a “Good Samaritan” donor, giving to someone with whom he did not have a connection, something that Zoosman said “demonstrates the inherent humanity of the people that we are seeking to kill.”

Gonzales initially requested a stay of execution so he could make the donation. That request was denied, although he did eventually receive a stay because of a concern about an expert witness from Gonzales’ murder trial, who has since admitted that his testimony was flawed. The resulting stay gave extra time for another potential recipient, with matching blood type, to send a letter to Governor Greg Abbott on July 10. “I cannot emphasize enough what a precious gift you would be giving someone if you allowed Mr. Gonzales the opportunity to donate his kidney.” Were she to receive a new kidney, she would be freed from her own prison of dialysis, but the Texas Department of Criminal Justice denied the request, citing concerns that the surgery could “possibly [interfere] with the court-ordered execution date” and that the prison system might be unable to cover the costs of the procedure.