Bijou Phillips issues heartbreaking update amid search for rare kidney donor after making public call for help

Bijou Phillips has issued a heartbreaking update about her search for a rare kidney donor in a wide-ranging new interview.

Phillips, 45, has sought the public's help in finding a living donor after a kidney transplant she received in 2017 was rejected. Now on dialysis, she told followers earlier this month that 'time is of the essence.'

In a new interview with Us Weekly, Phillips re-iterated just how delicate the situation is, stressing she very well could be 'gone in a few days' if an infection were to occur.

'I’ve been immunosuppressed for so long… 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 said. 'I’m really hopeful, [but] it’s an extremely urgent situation.'

Phillips has started dialysis again, a treatment intended for those suffering from kidney failure which cleans the blood.

'I feel pretty good since I started dialysis… I was possibly going to be able to get a kidney from my brother [Aron Wilson], but he wasn’t a match. He’s maybe going to be able to get into the kidney exchange, but they’re not sure. They’ve already denied him once, so he’s gonna try again.'

Phillips said she is 'sort of hanging by a thread' as her wait for a donor continues.

'I’ve needed a transplant for a year. I’m sort of hanging on by a thread. My dad had a liver transplant when I was 10, and then when I was 20, he had to get on dialysis at UCLA. 

'The medication you take when you’re transplanted is very toxic to kidneys. So when you get a transplant — heart or liver or kidney — within a decade, you’re probably going to need a kidney transplant. My dad needed to get on dialysis after his liver transplant, [and] he got an infection in his line and was dead within three days because his immune system was so weak. So for me, getting on dialysis at UCLA was terrifying.'

In the wake of the ordeal, Phillips has found solace in religion.

'I’ve been praying a lot. I’m in a little group that prays the rosary in the morning, right after drop-off. I’m going to try to do a traditional Lent, fasting on Wednesdays and Fridays,' she said. (A rep for Phillips debunked speculation Phillips was a member of Scientology to Us, telling the outlet she was never a member and that her sole link to the Church was her ex-husband Danny Masterson, a lifelong member.)

On a typical day, Phillips is able to retain a semblance of normalcy.

'Today I took my daughter to school, came home, had a little snack, went to dialysis, came home, and normally I would go do a couple things, grab her from school, take her if she has an after-school thing, or maybe go get an early dinner or come home and make dinner.

'That’s my day. If I don’t have dialysis, I’m running errands and going to the grocery store.'

It's an issue that has been afflicting her since she was a baby - she was born with underdeveloped kidneys and was on dialysis the first three months of her life with limited kidney function, according to Us.

At age 36, she received her first kidney transplant and was living a full life until her health took a turn for the worse. 

'Before I got the call that my… kidneys were failing again, I was playing shows and putting music out,' she said. I was working on a new album… I was about to go make a movie in Bulgaria… I was so excited — it was such a good part — but I had to pull out because I got sick.' 

Back in 2017, Phillips’ then-husband Masterson publicly shared news of her kidney transplant, revealing on social media that she had received a life-saving donation and was beginning her recovery.

Earlier this month, Phillips took to Instagram with an emotional plea for help, urging followers to share her message and consider becoming a living donor.

She revealed she was under the care of a doctor at UCLA and on dialysis again. 

A rep for the actress told Variety at the time that Phillips had been hospitalized for a second kidney transplant and was looking for a donor. 

‘please read and share. and if you are interested in becoming a living donor, please go to the link in my bio and fill out a brief form. I am so grateful for your support, ’ Phillips wrote on Instagram alongside baby photos of her daughter, Fianna Francis Masterson, 12, whom she shares with Masterson.

In one of the posts, Phillips detailed her lifelong battle with kidney disease, writing: ‘I was born with underdeveloped kidneys and spent the first three months of life in the NICU on dialysis.

'In 2017, I received the incredible gift of a kidney from a dear friend.

'That transplant gave me 5 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

'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.’