'Little House on the Prairie's Hersha Parady Dead at 78

Hersha Parady, known for her role as schoolteacher Alice Garvey on Little House on the Prairie, has died. She was 78.

Her son, Jonathan Peverall, confirmed the news to The Hollywood Reporter, revealing that the actress passed yesterday, Aug. 23, at his home in Norfolk, Virginia. Leading up to her death, she had been dealing with the effects of a malignant brain tumor, which Peverall detailed in a GoFundMe for her medical care.

Peverall wrote that Parady had always been active and outgoing, but a meningioma—the most common type of brain tumor, according to Johns Hopkins—had "robbed her of her strength, her memory, and sadly, her vibrant personality." She became bedridden and began struggling with basic daily activities, leading Peverall to move her from Los Angeles to his home on the East Coast.

On July 14, Parady underwent surgery in the hopes of improving her quality of life. On July 30, her son offered another update, noting that while the surgery was successful, she's faced setbacks since.

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"During the first week in rehab, we were optimistic, as it seemed like she might regain most of her functions. However, at some point during the stay, she developed pneumonia and had to be taken back to the hospital," he wrote.

That led to a week on a vent in the ICU, where she had yet to wake up fully.

At the time, her medical team was investigating her condition, looking for the cause, which he wrote, "may include post-surgical complications, seizures, medication, or any combination of factors."

Parady is survived by her son, his three children, and her siblings: Patty, Kenny and Bobby.

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