Hallmark Star Donates Kidney After Seeing Viral Plea

A Hallmark star’s generous past is coming back to light. Michael Teigen, who recently played the unforgettable role of Robbie Indigo in Hallmark’s “Game of Love,” donated a kidney years ago after seeing a viral video about an old friend.

He Donated His Kidney After Seeing a Viral Video

Michael Teigen may have a busy career in front of the camera, but he has a history of generosity from behind the camera too. His IMDb profile notes not only all his accomplishments, but a lesser known fact about him: that he donated a kidney in 2020 to a friend, Stephen Gillis.

Gillis went viral in 2019 when the Vancouver peewee hockey team that he coached — The Spirit — made a video about him needing a kidney, CTV News reported. Gillis had Crohn’s disease, which led to a rare kidney disease that necessitated the transplant, The Star reported.

The video got 375,000 views on Instagram in just a week.

After the video was released, Gillis told CTV News that the transplant clinic was getting overwhelmed with calls. Finding a match was tough though, because he was O Negative, which was rarer.

But ultimately, it was his old friend Teigen who came through.

Gillis found out the date of his transplant when a nurse gave him a gift while he was receiving kidney dialysis, CTV News reported. He opened the gift and inside was a T-shirt with a kidney on it and the date February 18, 2020.

Teigen and Gillis had worked together years earlier at Vancouver Theatersports. Teigen decided to see if he was a match after seeing the viral video that Gillis’ team made for him. Gillis got the initial good news in April, followed by learning about the surgery date in December.

“I wanted to help, and when I saw who it was and I saw the good things he’s doing, I wanted to do good things as well,” Teigen told CTV News.

The transplant was a success, CTV News later reported. Gillis could walk the day after the surgery.

In early March, Gillis shared a photo with Teigen. The two are still good friends.

February 18 marked the three-year anniversary of the surgery. Gillis wrote: “Thanks to my hero, Michael Teigen, I have had the fullest three years of life since he gave me this second chance. Recovering, adopting my baby boy Chewy, meeting the love of my life Eve, competing in the World Transplant Games, and getting back on the ice to play and behind the bench to coach the greatest sport in the world, hockey. I am forever grateful everyday for Michael and his family, the amazing hockey community, my friends, family, strangers, and media coast to coast, who helped spread the word of our story. Organ donation saved my life.”

Teigen Has Starred in a Number of Hallmark Movies

Teigen has starred in supporting roles in a number of Hallmark movies. Most recently, he was the love coach on “Game of Love” with Kimberley Sustad and Brooks Darnell.

He also played the role of Dale in “An Unexpected Christmas” with Tyler Hynes and Bethany Joy Lenz. He was Dan Cartwright in “Roadhouse Romance,” Phil on “Love, Lights, Hannukah!,” Aaron Tywell in “Morning Show Mysteries,” Phil on “Wedding of Dreams,” Mitch on “Garage Sale Mysteries,” and more.

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