Family estrangement can leave wounds that never fully heal, even with time.

When a mother who caused lasting harm suddenly returns with a life-or-death request, it forces painful choices for a daughter.

Read on for the full story.

AITAH for not wanting to give my estranged mother my kidney?

I (30 F) have a mother (62 F) who is estranged from me and has been for about 5 years now.

She made me and my partner homeless 5 years ago, and I don’t speak to her or any of my other family.

But soon, the mother was back — and she had a big request.

Now she texts me on FB and tells me that she has kidney disease. She sends me the information to get tested to see if I’m a match and asks me if I can donate a kidney.

She can’t quite understand why her mother chose to ask her.

Bearing in mind I have 5 other siblings she’s not estranged from that she can ask.

She’s immediately hesitant for multiple reasons.

I have health problems myself, and I don’t think I could deal with major surgery like a kidney transplant anyway due to my health issues.

She wonders if she can really turn her mother down over something this big.

How do I tell her no, and should I feel guilty?

AITAH for not wanting to give her my kidney?

A lifetime of pain doesn’t just disappear — especially without an apology.

What did Reddit make of this difficult situation?

This mother’s request is unreasonable for multiple reasons.

No one would blame this woman for saying no after everything she’s been through with her mom.

A strong “no” is really all she needs. No explanations needed.

If anything, this situation can serve as a warning to be proactive about her own health.

She doesn’t need to give her mother a kidney, but she does need to give herself permission to say no.

If you liked that post, check out this story about a guy who was forced to sleep on the couch at his wife’s family’s house, so he went to a hotel instead.