I couldn't help but think of Steve and Michael as I read the now deleted-thread concerning Valerie Harper, her terminal cancer diagnosis and her casting on Dancing With the Stars.
When celebrities receive dire diagnoses, it's always a big story. The first one I can personally remember is Steve McQueen's very sad story. He was given a terminal cancer diagnosis but wouldnt go down without a fight. So he started seeking out alternatives and experimental treatments across the world. The press faithfully documented his struggle. He died in Mexico, at the age of 50, as he was getting treatments there. That was way back in 1980, 33 years ago.
Another star's medical plight that played out in the media in a big way way was Michael Landon with his pancreatic cancer diagnosis. He was very vocal about his terminal status, and appeared on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show several times to talk about his illness and alternative treatments he was investigating. He was still a young man, early 50s, and it was sad and shocking to see how quickly he began wasting away before our eyes. That was in 1991, 22 years ago.
And McQueen and Landon were long before the internet and social media, with their 24/7 need for constant info and news.
So Valerie Harper did not invent the celeb "goodbye tour" that some might think they're witnessing today, and, perhaps, thinking VH is using for monetary or publicity purposes.
I personally see a very mentally strong woman in Valerie, who is taking advantage of opportunities being given to her at a very tough time in her life. I've loved her since her MTM/Rhoda days -- always a decent person who worked consistently and had a great rep as a team player and a caring, dependable costar, who often mentored the up and coming actors she met along the way, especially her Broadway costars.
Something Cakers wrote in the original Valerie thread really spoke to me. She said we all have our struggles and things going on in our lives -- our unique experiences -- and we all deal the best we can. Everyone is different. Right now, in our family, we have two ongoing tragedies. Each of those people is reacting to their circumstances in a manner consistent with their personality. I can tell you, the person who always had mental strength and a positive attitude is faring much better with day to day life and limitations. But we are accepting and compassionate toward both of our loved ones, and the individual needs they deserve from us.
So I admire Valerie Harper and the guts she is showing to the world right now. Maybe there's a DWTS viewer or two, sick and afraid, who's deriving a small comfort watching Valerie battling her odds. Maybe the HOPE Valerie is demonstrating is her last act of kindness and humanity -- to her family and friends, to her fans and to herself.
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