VANCOUVER -- The longtime president of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs has had a kidney transplant, the organization said.
In a post on Twitter, UBCIC wrote that Grand Chief Stewart Phillip and his daughter were both resting Wednesday following the procedure.
Phillip opened up about his need for a transplant last year, telling the public that asking for help is difficult for him.
"I'm known for helping individuals and families in regard to social justice causes and environmental issues," he wrote in an open letter in June.
"But at the same time, I am in dire need."
The then-70-year-old member of the Sylix Nation said he had developed a chronic kidney disease that was progressively getting worse.
He wrote that a normal kidney function number is 95. His had dropped to six.
Worrying he wouldn't have enough time to wait for a deceased donor, he made a public plea asking those in the province to consider donating one of their kidneys.
And it turns out one of the volunteers was a match: his daughter.
The pair went in for surgery Wednesday morning, according to a UBCIC post asking people to send love and prayers, and the transplant surgery was complete later in the day, with both said to be resting after the procedure.
