Melissa Gilbert Discusses ’Brutal’ Disease That Took Friends’ Lives
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Melissa Gilbert opened up about the “brutal and pernicious” disease that took Michael Landon and Patrick Swayze’s lives.
She’s raising awareness for pancreatic cancer through her lifestyle brand Modern Prairie.
She opened up about why she’s working with the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN).
When Melissa Gilbert founded her lifestyle brand, Modern Prairie, she pledged to use it to make a difference. Now, she’s doing just that by raising awareness for pancreatic cancer—a cause that really hits home for the former child star.
The 60-year-old has lost two close friends to the “brutal and pernicious disease,” she told People: her Little House on the Prairie co-star and father figure Michael Landon (who played Charles Ingalls) and her longtime friend and actor Patrick Swayze. (Landon died in 1991 at 54, and Swayze died in 2009 at 57.)
Gilbert witnessed cancer destroy their livelihoods, first-hand. “It feels like a tornado. You have no warning,” she said. “It’s just there and the survival rate is virtually nil.” According to the National Cancer Institute, the five-year survival rate is 12.8%. It’s difficult to diagnose early because there are minimal preliminary symptoms.
“I’d seen Michael have meningitis, I’d seen him with broken bones, I’d seen him with a lot of illnesses over the course of our time together. But this took him and decimated him so fast,” Gilbert recalled. The case was similar to Swayze. “Literally nothing has brought this man down and this is going to do it?” she added, referring to the Dirty Dancing star. “He was able to fight for a lot longer than Michael Landon was able to. But still… You see them before and you see the pictures of them as they’re going through it and it is devastating.”
So, when it came time for Modern Prairie to choose an organization to partner with and raise funds for, Gilbert’s decision was easy. She and her brand are working with the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN), “the first organization dedicated to fighting pancreatic cancer in a comprehensive way,” per the org’s website.
On October 14, Modern Prairie debuted a Lavender Bloom capsule collection of items—tote bags, throw blankets, bonnets, and more—cloaked in November’s Pancreatic Awareness Month shade of purple. A portion of the proceeds from sales go directly to PanCAN.
“Whatever I can do to support the organization,” Gilbert explained. “It can be a scary world when you think about all that stuff that’s out there. So why shouldn’t we all put our heads together, put our pocketbooks together, put our hearts together, and do whatever we can to eradicate this scourge that is cancer, and especially pancreatic cancer.”
In addition to purchasing from the Lavender Bloom collection, to contribute to PanCAN’s efforts, you can donate directly here.
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