The Tragic Real-Life Story Of Ashton Kutcher

Ashton Kutcher and his fraternal twin brother, Michael, were born on February 7, 1978, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. While Ashton weighed a healthy 11 pounds at birth, his twin weighed only 4 pounds and had underdeveloped lungs. In fact, Michael wasn’t even breathing when he was born, according to “Today.” Michael survived this but faced more health issues as a young child.

At age 3, he was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, “I had all of the stereotypes that come with having a disability. I was called every name in the book on the playground,” he shared with “Today.” But Ashton always stood up for him, fighting off bullies and making sure to always include him. “He’s my brother. If I’m playing, he’s playing,” Ashton shared on an episode of “The Checkup With Dr. David Agus” (via Entertainment Tonight).

When the twins were in eighth grade, Michael suffered another scary health setback. He was diagnosed with an enlarged heart and given just weeks to live unless he could receive a transplant. This hit Ashton hard, and he was willing to do anything to save his brother’s life, even if meant sacrificing his own. “I’m thinking to myself, ‘If anyone’s a match, I’m a match,’” Ashton told Dr. Agus. “Now you start running that cycle through your head. You’re like, ‘This balcony looks far enough to take things.’” Thankfully, a donor was found within 24 hours and Michael’s heart transplant was successful.