Ashton Kutcher Tearfully Recalls Wanting To Jump From The Balcony To Donate His Heart To His Twin Brother Fighting For His Life
Every family has its story to tell, and these experiences can make or break family relations. Ashton Kutcher has his own story and is worthy of a movie that will tug at your heart.
The actor revealed that when he was younger, he contemplated committing suicide by jumping off a balcony. And his goal for such an act? His death would mean he could give his heart to his twin brother, Michael, who was critically ill.
He shared this revelation on Paramount+’s program, The Checkup With Dr. David Agus, where Ashton appeared with his twin. The 44-year-old American producer discussed how Michael, who has cerebral palsy, suffered from a flu-like disease when they were in eighth grade.
After a week of symptoms, Michael was rushed to the emergency room, and their family was surprised, much less overwhelmed, by the news that his twin had an enlarged heart.
And if this was not enough, Michael was given more or less a month to live if a transplant was not made. This four-week life sentence turned into 48 hours when he started to deteriorate. Upon the news, his father immediately picked up Ashton to be by his brother’s side.
Ashton recalled how he was at a friend’s house, and his dad got him and told him that he needed to see his brother. In hindsight, Ashton realizes the urgent meeting had happened because his parents didn’t know what would happen in the next few days, much less the next few hours.
Further, in his story, Ashton narrated how he realized everything was not OK when he got to his twin’s room. When Michael suddenly flatlined, and Ashton was grabbed to be taken outside, he had a single thought, “If anyone’s a match, I’m a match.”
He felt he suddenly had the opportunity to save his twin’s life.
Dr. Agus explained further that Ashton went to his parents and told them to take his heart. And that, honestly, he did want to give his heart to his twin.
And the love and bond between the twins were so strong and, in a sense, unbreakable. Seeing his brother, the person he loved the most, go through this medical challenge, and not being able to push him along was not something young Ashton could endure.
Ashton had always been there for Michael as he battled cerebral palsy and social issues at their school. But with the enlarged heart, Ashton felt he couldn’t do anything. The concept of him being a perfect match shifted everything in the actor.
But every story, no matter how difficult and hopeless, always ends with a reason. Ashton’s was a happy one because the doctors saved his brother without him having to give up his heart. The family and the medical team found a donor within 24 hours, and Michael underwent a successful heart transplant.
After two years, they detected a blood clot, and Michael underwent open heart surgery. During the conversation with Dr. Agus, Ashton shared that he also struggles with an autoimmune disease called vasculitis. This left him unable to use his senses like sight, hearing, and mobility.
The two brothers have experienced the usual misunderstandings and temporary gaps in their relationship that siblings do but have revealed they are happy finding their individuality.
