Session not using correct variable - php

Question

I have a session that is supposed to carry a variable from one page to another. The session is set, however it does not have the correct value, I need this session to dynamically change.
Here's the code for the viewing page:
// Connect to the database
$dbc = mysqli_connect(DB_HOST, DB_USER, DB_PASSWORD, DB_NAME);
$query = "SELECT username FROM kaoscraft_user WHERE user_id = '" . $_SESSION['user_id'] . "'";
$data = mysqli_query($dbc, $query);
$row = mysqli_fetch_array($data);
$username1 = $row['username'];
// Grab the pm data from the database
$query = "SELECT `to`, `from`, rank, gender, picture, title, msg FROM kaoscraft_pm WHERE `to` = '$username1' ORDER BY msg_id DESC";
$data = mysqli_query($dbc, $query);
$gender = $row['gender'];
while ($row = mysqli_fetch_array($data)) {
session_start();
$reply = $row['from'];
$_SESSION['reply'] = $row['from'];
echo '<div class="viewpost">';
echo '<div class="vpside">';
if(!empty($row['picture'])) {
echo '<img class="pictest" src="' . MM_UPLOADPATH . $row['picture'] . '" alt="' . MM_UPLOADPATH . 'nopic.png' . '" />';
}
if(!empty($row['from'])) {
echo '<p>From:<br />' . $row['from'] . '</p>';
echo 'Reply';
}
if(!empty($row['rank'])) {
echo '<p>Rank:<br />' . $row['rank'] . '</p>';
}
if(!empty($row['gender'])){
echo '<p>Gender:<br /> ' . $row['gender'] . '</p>';
}
echo '</div>';
if(!empty($row['title'])) {
echo'<h4><u>' .$row['title']. '</u></h4>';
}
if(!empty($row['msg'])) {
echo '<p class="">' . $row['msg'] . '</p>';
}
echo '<div class="sig">';
if(!empty($row['bio'])) {
echo '<p>' . $row['bio'] . '</p>';
}
echo '</div>';
echo '</div><br />';
}
mysqli_close($dbc);
?>
Yes, the query had been executed, and yes row is set.
Here's the carry over script:
if (isset($_SESSION['reply'])) {
echo 'value=' . $_SESSION['reply'];
}
Mind you this is a test script and not the script I will actually be using, just in-case you were wondering. and in the second script it is a SNIPPET not the whole code that is why you do not see session_start();