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Sean Astin Pays Tribute To Mom Patty Duke In A Special Way, Plus Celebrity Reaction To The Death Of A Hollywood Legend

By Victoria Miller
Published on: 07:40 PST, Mar 29, 2016

Sean Astin is remembering his mom, Patty Duke, in a special way after her death. The Oscar-winning actress, whose legal name was Anna Pearce, passed away at age 69 from sepsis from a ruptured intestine, according to USA Today. After Sean Astin posted a poignant tribute to his mother on Facebook to announce her death to fans, the actor revealed that he plans to continue her work as a mental health advocate.

“This morning, our beloved wife, mother, matriarch and the exquisite artist, humanitarian and champion of mental health, Anna Patty Duke, closed her eyes, quieted her pain and ascended to a beautiful place. We celebrate the infinite love and compassion she shared through her work and throughout her life.”

At age 16, Patty Duke won a best supporting actress Oscar for her performance as Helen Keller in the movie The Miracle Worker, and she later starred as identical cousins Cathy and Patty on The Patty Duke Show. But it was her public meltdown at the 1970 Emmy Awards that put a celebrity face on bipolar disorder. At the time, the 23-year-old actress seemed totally out of it as she accepted her award, and some viewers speculated that she was on drugs. It was later revealed that the actress was in the middle of a severe mental breakdown while on stage to accept her Emmy. After her diagnosis, Patty Duke was the first celebrity to come forward as bipolar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcUYBKDADLE

Patty Duke went on to become a mental health advocate, and now her oldest son, Sean Astin, plans to continue on with her important work. Sean Astin has created The Patty Duke Mental Health Initiative in honor of his mother. In a statement posted to Crowdwise, Astin asked for support in launching the initiative, revealing that he had talked to his mother at length about “how the core mission of her mental health work might continue” after her death.

“[Anna’s] greatest achievement was confronting her mental illness and making her story public. She crossed the nation speaking and campaigning and lobbying for mental health. My mom took her place as a mental health advocate in the greatest tradition of noble leadership. Ultimately, her colossal energy and indomitable spirit charged her life and bolstered the sense of purpose and intention that defined her existence. Through countless and often agonizing struggles, she was a deeply committed and tireless WARRIOR.”

Astin revealed that his initiative will support those suffering with mental illness as well as their families and local communities. Once he gets funding, Sean plans to incorporate public awareness campaigns, lobbying efforts, and a variety of support programs to his initiative. At this time, Sean Astin is seeking funds so he can secure a location and pay for legal expenses, a board of directors, and other staff needed for the project.

Sean Astin is best known for his roles in The Goonies and the Lord of the Rings trilogy (Sean’s brother, Duke’s middle son Mackenzie Astin, was also a child star and appeared in the sitcom The Facts of Life), and he already has a lot of support in Hollywood regarding his initiative. Actor Elijah Wood, who worked with Sean in the Lord of the Rings movies, promptly promoted Astin’s Crowdwise page as a steady stream of celebrities paid tribute to the iconic Hollywood actress who bravely put her face forward regarding a once taboo topic.

Take a look at the celebrity reaction to the death of Patty Duke and her son Sean Astin’s iniative in her honor.

[Photo by Vince Bucci/Getty Images]

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