Bijou Phillips, actor and model, recently dropped some news that’s equal parts relief and gratitude: she successfully received a kidney transplant. The hero of this particular story? Her brother, Aron Wilson, who turned out to be a perfect match and donated one of his kidneys. Because, apparently, some siblings are just built differently.
Phillips took to Instagram to share the update, pouring out thanks to everyone who offered a helping hand. Her brother, obviously, got a shout-out, as did the medical team at UCLA, specifically Dr. Jeffrey Veale. Which, after a five-year wait, feels like the least she could do.
The Long Road to a New Kidney
For those not in the know, Phillips was born with kidneys that, let's just say, didn't quite get the memo on full development. This wasn't her first rodeo; she'd had a previous transplant and spent half a decade on a waiting list for this one. Back in February, she put out a very public plea for a living donor, emphasizing the urgency. Her goal? More time with her daughter, family, and friends. A pretty universal wish, really.
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Start Your News DetoxShe described her situation then as “hanging on by a thread,” which is not a phrase you want to hear from anyone, let alone someone navigating a serious health crisis. She credited her boyfriend, Jamie Mazur, and her half-sisters, Chynna and Mackenzie Phillips, for being her rock through it all. Because while dialysis can buy you a few years, an infection can, she noted, take everything away in a flash.
Phillips also managed to find a strange kind of beauty in the whole ordeal. Living with a body that could, at any moment, decide to stage a revolt, made the simple things — a sunset, a breath — feel even more profound. Which, if you think about it, is both a heartbreaking and incredibly resilient perspective.
Phillips, for those keeping score, is the daughter of John Phillips of The Mamas & the Papas fame. She shares a 12-year-old daughter, Fianna Francis, with her estranged husband, Danny Masterson. Masterson is currently serving a prison sentence for rape convictions, making Phillips' journey to health even more complex. But for now, it's all about the kidney.
