Bijou Phillips has reportedly been rushed to the hospital and placed on dialysis as she awaits a life-saving kidney transplant. According to Page Six, the 45-year-old model is currently receiving dialysis at CORE Kidney at UCLA Health in Los Angeles after her previous transplant failed, with her representatives confirming she is in urgent need of a donor. Her representative, Cade Hudson, said Bijou is under specialist care as she awaits a match.
Phillips previously received a kidney from a friend in 2017, but the transplant has since failed following years of complications with human polyomavirus 1, also known as the BK virus, which led to cellular and antibody rejection. Taking to Instagram on February 11, Bijou shared a heartfelt plea, writing, “I’m asking as a friend, a sister, an aunt, and, most importantly, a single mother to an incredible and brave daughter. I am in need of a kidney.”
© VALERIE MACONShe also revealed that she was “born with underdeveloped kidneys and spent the first three months of life in the NICU on dialysis,” explaining that kidney disease has shaped much of her life. Reflecting on her first transplant, she continued, “That transplant gave me 8 precious years to be a mother to my daughter, but I have had many complications since, including the BK virus which led to both a cellular and antibody rejection. I am currently under care of Dr Anjay Rastogi at UCLA and back on dialysis.”
Bijou, who shares 12-year-old daughter Fianna with her ex-husband Danny Masterson, added, “Please help me find a living donor so that I can have more time with my daughter, family, and friends. Time is of the essence.” A source told Us Weekly that while Bijou is “awake” and “aware of what is going on,” her condition remains “dire,” adding that she began dialysis on Tuesday, February 10th, and that there has been “natural wear on her other kidney” after years of health issues.
© Eric CharbonneauFriends and family members have reportedly undergone testing to see if they are a match, but so far none have been successful. However, those close to her are said to still be hopeful, with the insider saying there are “no prospective donors right now,” but Bijou and her loved ones are “optimistic” about finding a match within the next “couple of months.” She has been supported during the ordeal by her sisters, Chyna and Mackenzie Phillips, as well as longtime friends, including Paris and Nikki Hilton.
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