INQUISITR.COM / Entertainment

Actor, MMA Fighter Ernie Reyes Jr. In Dire Need Of New Kidneys — Internet Rallying To Save His Life

By Shelley Hazen
Published on: 04:08 PST, Jun 12, 2015

The family of a former action star-turned-MMA fighter Ernie Reyes Jr., is appealing to the online community to help save his life.

Reyes Jr., 43, is fighting kidney failure and has to undergo dialysis treatments three times a week for four hours each to keep him alive, the New York Daily News reported.

To help him, his sister, Destiny, set up the GoFundMe page, which currently has earned $34,000.

“My brother has spent his entire childhood and adult life fighting in films and television, but now his battle has gone from the screen to reality, fighting for his life. This is a very challenging time not only for Ernie Jr.’s immediate family, but challenging … for (ours) as well.”

Since March, Ernie — who played Keno in the 1990s version of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles — has been undergoing costly medical treatment after his kidneys began to shut down, TMZ reported. He has since spent time in the intensive care unit.

He is in the process of being put on the list for a much-needed transplant. If he doesn’t get one soon, he could die, Philly.com reported. He’s already lost his eyesight.

Reyes needs the money to pay for the cost medical bills, which are starting to get very expensive. His family’s goal is $75,000.

Some celebs have already contributed some of their own money, including those he knew back when he was a popular face in movies. Stunt coordinators James Lew from Rush Hour 2 and Andy Cheng from The Rundown are among them.

Reyes is the grandson of Filipino immigrants and was born in San Jose, California. His father, Ernie Sr., was an actor and stuntman. Among his three brothers and two sisters are a boxer and filmmaker.

He’s an accomplished pro MMA fighter, with fight record of 3 and 0, but is perhaps most famous for his teenaged role as Keno. He also starred as Tai in The Last Dragon, Prince Tarn in Red Sonja, the film Sidekicks, and Surf Ninjas. More recently, he’s been in The Rundown and CSI: Los Angeles. He’s also done motion capture stunts for the films Avatar and Alice in Wonderland.

“Regardless of where you have seen or heard of Ernie Reyes Jr., he has impacted peoples’ lives all over the world through his extraordinary performances in television and film. Please be aware that he needs support during this time of need and recovery of his life.”

[Photo Courtesy Twitter]

Share this article: Actor, MMA Fighter Ernie Reyes Jr. In Dire Need Of New Kidneys — Internet Rallying To Save His Life
Health teenage mutant ninja turtles
More from Inquisitr