Hello, Ms. Battisti? Yeah, hi, this the hospital calling. Fine thanks. You are? Great, great. Glad to hear it. Actually, that’s what I’m calling about. Yeah, remember how during the surgery we put a bone into your back? You do? Good, good. Funny story about that. Turns out it was kind of, uhh, stolen. No, ma’am, he was already dead when it happened. Thing is, though, he might have had syphilis. Or hepatitis. You do? Syphilis? Yes, ma’am, I imagine you would wonder about that.

Turns out that
patients nationwide may have received tissue stolen from cadavers.

Battisti was informed that the cadaver bone that was implanted in her back may have been infected with various viruses — the result of what investigators say was a large-scale scheme in which corpses were cut up and body parts illegally sold.

The Long Island woman now claims she contracted syphilis from the bone and plans to sue.