Christopher “Kid” Reid went to the hospital for what he thought was something minor. He learned he was suffering from congestive heart failure and needed a transplant.
Reid, who is one half of the chart-topping 1980s rap duo Kid ‘N Play with Christopher “Play” Martin, discussed his diagnosis and eventual transplant on the Thursday, Feb. 5 episode of Good Morning America.
“New year. New heart. New vibration,” the hip-hop legend told host Michael Strahan.
Reid, 61, described the symptoms he was feeling before his diagnosis.
“I just started to feel a little bit more fatigued than before,” he recalled. “And then when you feel that shortness of breath, sleeping a lot more than normal. And I think sometimes you kind of just chalk it up to, ‘I’m getting older, the road is harsh.’”
In July 2025, he went to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles to find out what was wrong. That’s when he received the devastating diagnosis.
“Congestive heart failure,” Reid said.
Doctors first prescribed medications, but they didn’t seem to help. He made a return visit to his cardiologist three weeks later.
“He came in very swollen again, and that is unusual as somebody who’s already started treatment, for the swelling to come back,” his cardiologist, Dr. Erika Jones, told GMA.
Jones ordered additional bloodwork. The test results confirmed Reid needed a new heart. Because he was in such poor health, he was moved near the top of the transplant list.
A week and a half later he received a life-changing phone call.
“They’re saying, ‘We got the heart and we want to put it in tomorrow night at 10 p.m.,’ ” Reid said. “About seven hours later, I have a new heart.”
February is American Heart Month, focusing attention on heart health. Reid told Strahan he wants to raise awareness about cardiovascular disease, especially in people of color.
“A lot of people are walking around with heart disease because they don’t go to the doctor,” Reid said. “Traditionally, people of color, we know that we don’t go… Sometimes we don’t go because we don’t have insurance. A lot of times we don’t go because we don’t want the bad news or we’re too busy just hustling trying to make it from day to day.”
The rapper and House Party actor noted that he is a living testament of the importance of medical checkups, especially when something seems off.
“So I’m urging all of my fans, all of y’all’s loved ones too, get it checked out,” he said.
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