The Gift Of Life

Jet, Sept 17, 2001

THE GIFT OF LIFE: Personal trainer Will Smith, 37, (1) and his client Ellen Souviney, 46, take time out to share a soda at Better U Fitness Center in Brunswick, ME. Smith, a former U.S. Navy sailor and world-class bodybuilder who has suffered from kidney failure since 1999, helped Souviney shed 55 pounds and in return she is planning to donate her kidney to him.

She says that she doesn't owe Smith anything but after watching him suffer she feels it's the right thing to do. After taking a compatibility test Souviney turned out to be a perfect match to Smith. On Oct. 2 she will undergo an operation at Maine Medical Center in Portland, ME, to donate a kidney to her friend. Smith, who was once ranked ninth in the world as a professional bodybuilder, says that he'd like to start competing again as soon as he can.