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Bijou Phillips Recovers Quickly After Paired-Exchange Kidney Transplant

7/9/2026

Summary

Bijou Phillips Transplant

Bijou Phillips (46) received a kidney transplant on July 7, 2026 at UCLA Health in Los Angeles.
The procedure avoided cutting muscle, allowing her to manage pain with only Tylenol.
Her brother Aron Wilson donated a kidney to another recipient in a paired-exchange, securing a perfect match for Phillips.
Phillips reported rapid recovery, feeling five days post-op as she did four months after her prior surgery, and thanked the voucher program.

Summary

Phillips Receives Kidney

Phillips received a kidney through the voucher program that matched her with a donor and enabled a paired exchange in which her brother donated a kidney to another patient.
UCLA Health used a minimally invasive, pain-free technique, while the National Kidney Foundation warned that dormant BK virus can threaten graft success.
Phillips’s Instagram plea and media coverage show how celebrity advocacy can raise awareness of organ-donor voucher initiatives.

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Bijou Phillips Transplant

Bijou Phillips (46) received a kidney transplant on July 7, 2026 at UCLA Health in Los Angeles.
The procedure avoided cutting muscle, allowing her to manage pain with only Tylenol.
Her brother Aron Wilson donated a kidney to another recipient in a paired-exchange, securing a perfect match for Phillips.
Phillips reported rapid recovery, feeling five days post-op as she did four months after her prior surgery, and thanked the voucher program.

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