Actor and model Bijou Phillips has revealed that she’s “hanging on by a thread” and urgently needs a kidney transplant.
“I’ve needed a transplant for a year,” Philips told Us Weekly in an exclusive sit-down interview, her first in a decade.
Phillips, 45, was born with underdeveloped kidneys and received her first kidney transplant at 36. In February, the actor revealed that she was back on dialysis — a treatment that Phillips emphasized is “not a cure” and puts her at an increased risk of infection.
“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,” Phillips told Us Weekly. “I’m really hopeful, [but] it’s an extremely urgent situation.”
Phillips shared on Instagram on Feb. 11 that she needed help finding a kidney and shared a questionnaire for followers who were interested in becoming a donor. Nearly 1,300 people came forward saying they wanted to get tested and see if they were a match for Phillips. Of those individuals, Phillips said 50 or 60 might be a match.
She called the response “beautiful” and said it was important to use her platform to advocate for those with kidney disease. “I think it’s useful to raise awareness, [to encourage] more people to donate into the ether. It’s such a wild disease,” she told Us Weekly.
In the past, Phillips said, her creative projects inspired her to keep going. Now, Phillips says she is fighting for her life for her daughter, Fianna. “I’m all she’s got,” Phillips said.
“Now I’m a single mom and 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,” Phillips said.
The life-and-death situation motivated Phillips to turn to social media for help with the encouragement of her famous friends and family, like sister Mackenzie Phillips and longtime friends Nicky and Paris Hilton. “To put my health out there publicly was terrifying, but my friends and family got fed up with me. They took control and were like, ‘We’re doing this,’” Phillips said.
Phillips offered the rare peek into her private life following the conviction of her ex-husband Danny Masterson, who was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for two rape convictions. Phillips filed for divorce days later.
Phillips’ team could not be immediately reached for comment.
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