Actress Valerie Harper Doing Well Following Health Scare


Valerie Harper, most notably known for her role as Rhoda on The Mary Tyler Moore Show as well as the spinoff entitled simply Rhoda, has been battling brain cancer for the past two years. Originally given three to six months to live, Valerie Harper’s positive attitude and desire to live have been an inspiration to many.

Just prior to a performance of Nice Work If You Can Get It in Ogunquit, Maine, celebrated actress Valerie Harper was found unconscious backstage. Ogunquit Playhouse executive artistic director released a statement following the incident, reports People.

“Valerie Harper was taken to a local hospital as a precaution before her July 29 evening performance of Nice Work If You Can Get It, at the Ogunquit Playhouse, after reporting that she was not feeling well. She is resting comfortably and will remain in the hospital for observation for the time being… The audiences and all of us here at the Playhouse are greatly enjoying our time with Valerie here in Ogunquit, and we are encouraged that she is feeling better.”

Apparently, rumors were circulating that Valerie Harper had fallen into a coma, but according to the Huffington Post, those speculations proved false. Valerie Harper posted a message on her Facebook page assuring fans that she is doing well, blaming “strong medicine” for her sudden illness. We can assume the medication responsible was used for the treatment of cancer, but Valerie does not specify.

“My dear friends and fans! As always, thank you for your amazing support. I am happy to report I am not, nor have I been, in a coma. As anyone who has taken strong medication knows, it doesn’t always agree with you, even with me as this experience proves. I am confronting these hurdles with my usual enthusiasm and love of life…. But I must confess that the highlight of this ordeal came when I was escorted by two handsome young men and a pilot, in a medivac helicopter, as the full moon lit the sky. Talk about movie magic!!!”

Brenda Vaccaro will be standing in for Valerie Harper during the rest of the show’s run, the playhouse staff stated.

“Valerie is feeling great right now and we want her to continue to rest and to enjoy her family. After discussing with them, we decided that we wanted to relieve her of any pressure of having to return to the show, which only runs for two more weeks.”

Well-loved for her work as an actress, Valerie Harper has been an inspiration to so many through her battle with cancer. Her positive attitude shows the world that she is just as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside.

“When I wake up in the morning I don’t say, ‘Oh, I have cancer.’ I say ‘Another day. How you feeling? Good? Good.'”

Valerie Harper is currently resting at home with her family.

[Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images]

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