Reports that a teenager from China sold his kidney to buy an iPad 2 and iPhone are causing an outcry, first and foremost by his horrified mother.

Possessing an iPad is seen as a sign of wealth in China, and the healthy 17-year-old Xiao Zheng decided he wanted one. So he looked for a way to get the money, and found that he could have one of his kidneys removed in exchange for quick cash.

Xian's mother became suspicious when her son came home with the coveted items.

I wanted an iPad2, but I didn't have the money, he tells Shenzen TV of Guangdong province. When I surfed the internet I found an advertisement posted online by an agent saying they were able to buy a kidney.

Xiao travelled to a hospital in Chenzhou city of Hunan Province and had the risky operation to remove his kidney on April 28.

He was paid 20,000 yuan, or $3,084.

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