Bijou Phillips Launches Desperate Appeal for Kidney Donor as Health Deteriorates
Model and actor Bijou Phillips has issued a desperate plea for a kidney donor, revealing that her life is "hanging by a thread" in an urgent health crisis. The 45-year-old star, known for roles in Almost Famous and Bully, stated she "could be gone in a few days" if she does not receive a transplant immediately.
Critical Search for a Match Amid Overwhelming Response
Earlier this month, Phillips was hospitalized due to complications with her first kidney transplant, prompting her to make an online appeal for a donor. In a new interview with US Weekly, she disclosed that this plea has generated an overwhelming response, with approximately 1,300 people coming forward to be tested as potential matches.
"Out of those, I think we have like 50 or 60 that could possibly be a match," Phillips said, highlighting the challenges in finding a compatible donor. The outlet noted that her blood type is O negative, which can complicate the matching process.
Life on Dialysis and the Race Against Time
Currently, Phillips is relying on dialysis, a life-sustaining treatment that filters waste and toxins from her bloodstream, acting as a substitute for kidney function. However, she emphasized the precariousness of her situation.
"I could make it on dialysis for a couple years, or I could get an infection in my line tomorrow and be gone in a few days," she explained. "I'm really hopeful, [but] it's an extremely urgent situation." Phillips added that she has needed a transplant for a year, underscoring the severity of her condition.
Family Efforts and Kidney Exchange Program
Phillips revealed that her brother, Aron Wilson, was initially considered as a donor but was not a match. He is now attempting to enter a kidney exchange program, where incompatible donor-recipient pairs are matched to exchange donors with compatible recipients.
"If he gives his kidney, it would put me higher on the list," Phillips shared. "So then I would get the next kidney that's a match for me. I have antibodies [that make kidney rejection more likely], so it makes it complicated."
Health History and Personal Motivation
Phillips was born with underdeveloped kidneys and received her first transplant in 2017, donated by a friend. She has been immunosuppressed for an extended period, increasing her vulnerability.
Now a single mother to her 12-year-old daughter, Fianna, whom she shares with ex-husband Danny Masterson, Phillips is fighting for her life to be there for her child. "Things are different. I want to be here for her, and I have to be here for her. The fight is back. That had been gone for a long time. I'm it. I'm all she's got," she said emotionally.
Phillips and Masterson were married from 2011 until she filed for divorce in 2023, shortly after Masterson was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for rape convictions. This personal turmoil adds to the urgency of her health battle, as she navigates single parenthood while confronting a life-threatening medical condition.
