Philip Palmer, ABC7 Los Angeles and Living Donation. Michael Towner, Iconic Legacy.

Michael Towner with Phillip Palmer

As the Morning News Anchor for ABC7 in Los Angeles since 2002, Phillip Palmer has had the opportunity to be involved in a number of charitable endeavors. He has been active in the Autism community, the ARC Walk for Independence, fundraising efforts for wounded veterans and organ donation...and that connection became deeply personal. 

Phillip Palmer moved to Los Angeles in November of 1998 after his career took him from Monroe, Louisiana to Wichita, Kansas and then Denver, Colorado. His job as a reporter has taken him from a Super Bowl, to Iraq, from Columbine to the Tsunami in Thailand. 

In 2007, Phillip’s friend Dale Davis became ill. At first no one knew what was happening, only that Dale had been rushed to the emergency room with very high blood pressure. Initial fears of a stroke were replaced with the knowledge that Dale would need a kidney transplant. By coincidence or divine intervention, Phillip had already been introduced to living donation by sports writer Rick Reilly, who had written a column about NBA star Alonzo Mourning and the kidney he received from his cousin. After being moved by the article, Phillip had made a promise to act if the need ever arose. Within weeks of Dale’s diagnosis, Phillip and Dale had transplant surgery and both are healthy and happy over 10 years later. 

Phillip is one of the nicest and most interesting people I have met in my nearly six years in the Los Angeles area. Living donation offers another choice for transplant candidates, and it saves two lives: the recipient and the next one on the deceased organ waiting list. Even better, kidney and liver patients who are able to receive a living donor transplant can receive the best quality organ much sooner, often in less than a year.

​For more information - click here

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