It’s been a long and hard-fought battle with cancer for actress Valerie Harper, and it seems like it may be coming to an end sooner than anyone had originally thought.
The Mary Tyler Moore star’s battle with the disease started back in 2009 when doctors removed a cancerous tumor from her lung. According to Radar Online , she went into remission for four years, thinking that she has beaten the odds once and for all. But in 2013, the cancer reared its ugly head once again, spreading to Harper’s spinal cord as well as the lining of her brain. At the time, she was given just three months to live, but she continued to beat the odds, using a pricey and experimental drug that has worked up until now.
A source close to the actress reveals that Valerie is going downhill rather fast, suffering from “aphasia.” Additionally, Valerie has lost her ability to understand or express speech. While she was previously living in a rehab facility, a source close to the situation shares that she was kicked out after insurance stopped covering it. Now, Harper’s husband, Tony Cacciotti, is caring for her at home while he waits for nurses to come and help.
Tony “wants to make sure she is in surroundings she is comfortable with. If she can live last days looking out over the ocean, he’d rather her do it at home, not a facility,” the source reveals. “He wants her to see the waves, be in her kitchen, know her bedroom.”
Valerie Harper’s Husband Says Doctors Want His Wife in Hospice Care But He ‘Can’t’ & ‘Won’t’ Do It https://t.co/Xk9zRrZKJC
— People (@people) July 24, 2019
But on a lighter note, the source shares that Valerie is not in any pain and she’s been all smiles throughout her ongoing health issues. Friends and family have predicted that she will only live for somewhere around three months, and everyone is holding out hope that she will make it until the end of August so that she is able to celebrate her 80th birthday. In the past, The Inquisitr shared that Harper’s husband started the Valerie Harper Cancer Support Fund to help get aid for his beloved wife.
The GoFundMe page has amassed over $66,000 from 1,200 people in just 23 days. In the description of the fundraiser, Cacciotti shares that he has been told by doctors to put Valerie in hospice care, but after 40 years of commitment to her, he doesn’t feel like it’s right of him to do it.
“For those of you who have been in this position, you will totally understand that ‘it’s hard letting go.’ So as long as I’m able and capable, I’ll be where I belong right beside her.”
Tony ends the page by thanking fans for all of their overwhelming support and love that he and his wife have received during their lengthy battle.