There was a time when a human being contracted an affliction, such as the flu virus, and it was up to the immunity system to defend the body from that virus. There were no medicines or medical professionals to assist in ridding the body of the virus. Over centuries of research and practice, medical advancements have progressed society to what we recognize today where minor illnesses are an inconvenience and treatable. Today, most major illnesses are treatable with a timely diagnosis and medicine. While the cure for cancer and other major illnesses still escape the medical experts, these illnesses are treatable and no longer instant death sentences. This is the evolution of medicine.

In recent decades, cosmetic non-essential surgeries have become trendy and a right of passage in certain social circles. Imagine reality TV without lip injections, nose jobs, botoxed foreheads, neck lifts, or breast augmentations, to name a few popular procedures. Flipping through CNPS TV programming reveals a cast of characters cut, snipped, and injected to enhance their appearance, according to their self-image and their doctors. Medical procedures evolved from life-saving operations improving one’s life expectancy to elective procedures improving one’s self-worth. While it may be difficult comprehending the desire to remodel one’s face and body, one can understand the positive effect a physical appearance has on mental health. Everyone wants to look good and feel good.

However, cosmetic surgeries are now transforming humanity into a new era. If one believes in the theory of evolution, it’s understood that man evolved from primates. Then, it can be asked, if a present-day human wanted to undergo a procedure that made him more like an animal, is that evolution of humanity and its medical technology, or is it devolution because a human is becoming an animal again? This is the sensitive case of Russ Wahl and his desire to be a human-animal hybrid.

Mr. Wahl’s quest started with a near fatal incident on an early February Sunday in 2018. He was consuming chicken wings and a bone became wedged in his throat. Mr. Wahl could not breathe, nearly choking to death. Luckily, he successfully performed the Heimlich maneuver on himself to dislodge the bone and was able to cough the bone up. “Yes, that’s the story. But, I believe Jesus took the wheel, so to speak. Jesus saved my life so I could save someone else’s,” he said. “After some research, I found that there are nearly 5,000 choking deaths each year. Well, I want there to be zero choking deaths every year. Humanity has the medical technology to make this happen. God has identified me as the vessel to make that happen”

Mr. Wahl is referencing his upcoming controversial elective procedure to replace his teeth with modified hippo teeth while his stomach and intestines will be replaced with the modified organs of a white shark. He believes these procedures will allow him to eat through bones and digest the bones as well, thus eliminating the odds he’ll choke to death. “I’ve received a lot of negative attention. But, so did Jesus. I understand the opposition to new ideas. All I’m trying to do is save lives and people hate me for that.” Mr. Wahl has received death threats from animal rights activists and fundamental religious zealots, “The animals rights groups say I shouldn’t be killing animals for my gain. I’m not. The animals being used in the procedure were raised for research purposes. The religious groups claim I shouldn’t alter God’s creation in myself and that I’m abusing the animals. I’m not doing those things either. Their hate won’t change my mind. Jesus saved my life on that Sunday so I could be a beacon for others to not fear changing their bodies to prolong our lifetimes.” A survey of anonymous Cinniapolis citizens offered up differing opinions ranging from the negative, “He’s just a lazy jerk that doesn’t want to cut his food. He can still choke if he doesn’t chew enough. He’s dumb,” to the supportive, “I applaud his bravery on this journey. May God hold him in his hands.”

It is a fine line. Yes, it’s evolution to improve the human body to be able to consume just about anything on the Earth. Yes, it’s also devolution to transform a human body back to a more primitive animal form. If one can argue that puffy lips or a slimmer nose is evolutionary progress that contributes to positive mental health, then that same argument can be made towards an individual making himself choke-proof.