Key Takeaways
- Christopher “Kid” Reid underwent a heart transplant after being diagnosed with congestive heart failure.
- He’s using his platform to raise awareness about early symptoms and the importance of seeking care.
- Post-surgery, he’s focused on creative projects, including a new special, tour dates, and a book.
Christopher “Kid” Reid is stepping into a new chapter with gratitude and a message for others to take their health seriously.
The Hip Hop legend, best known as a member of Kid ’N Play, revealed that he is recovering after undergoing a heart transplant, opening up about the life-threatening health scare for the first time during an interview with “Good Morning America” that aired Thursday (Feb. 5).
Reid shared that his symptoms first appeared last summer, starting with fatigue and shortness of breath — changes he initially brushed off as part of aging and life on the road. “I think sometimes you kinda just chalk it up to, you know, ‘I’m gettin’ older,’ you know, ‘The road is harsh,’” he told host Michael Strahan.
When the symptoms worsened, the 61-year-old went to the emergency room, where he was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. He was prescribed medication, but at a three-week follow-up appointment, his cardiologist noticed troubling signs. “He came in very swollen again — and that is a little unusual in somebody who’s been started on treatment — for the swelling to come back that quickly,” cardiologist Erika Jones told “GMA” about his condition.
Jones urged Reid to stay in town rather than fly out for a scheduled performance and ordered additional tests. “The blood work confirmed my suspicion. It showed that his heart was failing, and it was starting to affect his other organs,” she said.
The Bronx native received a call a few hours later instructing him to return to the hospital, where he was rushed to the ICU. Doctors told him a heart transplant was his only option. Cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Laura DiChiacchio described the situation as “a kind of life-or-death situation,” adding that Reid remained “warm” and “incredibly calm.”
Eight days after being placed on the transplant waiting list, Reid got the call that a new heart was available. Seven hours after surgery, the operation was complete. “This thing is ... a beautiful life. It’s great. And, you know, I wanna be around for it,” he continued.
Christopher Reid’s message to people of color about health
Now focused on recovery, Reid said he hopes his story encourages others, especially people of color, to stop ignoring warning signs. “A lot of times, we don’t go because we don’t want the bad news, or we too busy just hustlin’, trying to make it from day to day,” he said. “And we ... feel like we don’t got time, or we’ll get over it. Well, you might not.”
The rapper and actor rose to fame in the late 1980s and 1990s as one half of Kid ’N Play alongside Christopher “Play” Martin, becoming a defining figure in Hip Hop and pop culture. Known for his iconic hi-top fade, he starred in House Party, House Party 2, Class Act, and appeared on TV shows including “Martin” and “Sister, Sister.” According to Strahan, Reid is feeling energized and is already working on a new special, planning additional Kid ’N Play tour dates, and writing a book.