'30 Rock' Sidekick 'Grizz' Chapman Needs a Kidney Transplant

[Brian Damage]

Grizzwald Chapman, known to most as Tracy Morgan's massive and endearing sidekick on NBC's '30 Rock,' is in dire need of a kidney transplant, the actor has revealed during a taping of 'The Dr. Oz Show.' Chapman, just 35 years old, says he suffers from severe hypertension, which requires him to receive dialysis three times a week.

He tells 'Oz' (via New York Daily News) that he's on the waiting list for a kidney, but his size is holding him back. He also reveals that he ignored his high blood pressure for years, refusing to take medication -- and now he has just 5% of his normal kidney function.

With his massive frame -- 6'11" and 378 pounds -- Chapman must drop at least 75 pounds before being considered for the surgery.

Chapman tells the Daily News that "a lot of this stuff is new to me. Opening up is something I have to learn how to do if I'm going to be in this business." Discussing his episode of 'Oz,' which airs Tuesday, Chapman says "at first I didn't want to do it, but I felt that it would be a good situation for me to enlighten people to what's going on."

The actor hooked up with the famous doctor at a kidney benefit last October, and that Oz promised to help Chapman -- as long as he used his disease for good by showing the risks to others.
Oz calls hypertension "a painful problem for physicians to see because it's preventable ... There are more than 25,000 cases of kidney failure in America each year because of high blood pressure, and the African-American community is especially at risk"

To make good on his promise, Oz has assigned a group of medical experts to help Chapman drop the weight and stay healthy.

http://www.popeater.com/2009/12/14/3...ey-transplant/

[robyrob]

i hope Grizz manages to lose the weight and pulls through this

[catlover79]

God bless him - I hope he is able to get the transplant and get healthy again real soon!!