Denise Nickerson update

Jasmine Nickerson, Denise's daughter in law, posted that Denise had a major medical emergency and was taken to the ER yesterday. She's currently in ICU and has had seizures and is said to be in pulmonary and respiratory distress. She has also developed pneumonia. They have upped her oxygen. She is under a DNR order, so they have not put in a ventilator or feeding tube. They just have to wait to see how well Denise responds.

On a brighter note, Jasmine's baby, which will be Denise's first grandchild, should be arriving in about seven weeks.

Such a tragedy. 

I know I've mentioned before that I was pen-pals with Denise in the late 90's and early 00's.  We talked about so many things in our e-mails.  I was writing an "epic" DS novel called "Occasion of Sin" I hoped would be published the failed Harper-Collins novel reboot.  It covered the Collins family from the twenties through the forties (with a prologue set in 1918 that featured an unnamed Nora Collins at 30-or-so years of age recuperating from the influenza epidemic in a Philadelphia make-shift hospital, and an epilogue set in 1966 with the arrival of Victoria).  The twenties and thirties storyline included Nora in a major way, when she would've been in her forties.  Denise shared descriptions of herself at that age and even sent me photos to describe her character (she was basically an ignored, tolerated outcast by her brother Jamison and his wife Alexandra, who took solace in belonging to a spiritualist church while harboring a horrible secret).  Denise loved it.  She once told me:  "If they ever make this into a movie, I want to play Nora again!"

But enough about that.  My thoughts are with her, and her daughter-in-law on the arrival of Denises' first grandchild.

Gerard

Jasmine posted an update this morning. Denise has been taken off the minimal life support because it wasn't helping. They are now waiting for Denise to pass peacefully. They have set up a go fund me page to help with hospital/ upcoming funeral expenses plus help towards the loss of income they have suffered from time off due to caregiving requirements. After meeting Denise several times at DS fests and fan gatherings and a couple Willie Wonka reunions here in Orlando, I just feel a real sadness for everything she and her family went thru the past year.

Quote from Denise's daughter in law, on FB:
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We're here with her now. So, after the seizure and because of the pneumonia, she's not really breathing on her own. Specifically, she's not exhaling. Her lungs and brain activity are too weak. As it stood earlier today, she had too much CO2 in her blood and she's in almost a coma-like state. She will respond to being shaken and open her eyes but there's not really acknowledgement of any kind.

Since we got here, they ran another venous gas test and the CO2 level in her blood has increased, so she's getting worse. The doctor is playing it by ear basically. They're just keeping her comfortable but it's just matter of time at this point

Family are on their way. Josh is not okay at all. He's never really experienced a major loss like this. I'm just trying to support him as best I can. Please send him love or words of comfort. He is just coming to terms with the reality of the situation and doesn't know how to process it. He says to me a few minutes ago that she won't ever get to see or hold or know her granddaughter.
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Send prayers and good thoughtsl
I STILL hurt losing my mother 29 years ago...

Patti

So very sad. May her spirit know a peaceful passing.

I hope people who are in a position to do so come forward to help the family.

G.

God bless Denise, Jasmine and Josh.  I hear you, Patti; it’s terrible to lose your mom and Denise is still so very young.

Jasmine Nickerson posted that Denise passed away shortly after midnight.

Goodbye, our beloved Denise.  Greet Jonathan, Joan, Louis, Grayson and everyone else for us.  And enjoy all the chocolate and blueberries!

Gerard

R. I. P.

Denise Nickerson Dies: ‘Willy Wonka’, ‘Dark Shadows’ Actress Was 62

Hmmm - didn't Denise do Search For Tomorrow before she did DS?

I STILL hurt losing my mother 29 years ago...

I suspect many of us can relate, Patti. The loss gets easier, but it will always be there...

This article says Denise did SFT from 1971 until 1972:

Search for Tomorrow, Dark Shadows’ Denise Nickerson Dead at 62

But I could swear I have a clipping from a soap magazine from when she was on DS that says that she had already appeared on SFT and it's accompanied by a photo of a decidedly younger than DS Denise. I'll definitely try to track it down when I get the chance. Maybe it was a different soap and I'm getting them confused after all these years. Though if I am confusing soaps, of all places, then why doesn't this soap site say Denise did a soap before DS?

Denise had been on The Doctors before she appeared on DS. I'm not sure exactly when she was on the show but her character's name was Katie Harris. I'm not sure of the time frame for her stint as Liza Walton on Search For Tomorrow but she was there until the show decided to recast her with Sherry Mathis, so Liza could be a more conventional soap heroine.
Interesting bit of trivia: Liza's brother Gary was played by Tommy Norden. He and Denise worked together in an episode of Flipper.

   Now that you mention it, I think it was The Doctors. Thanks for clearing that up! 

Odd how no one is mentioning The Doctors among her credits. But I bet they're basing her credits off of the IMDb and it's not listed there. But then, we know how IMDb is hardly a definitive source...

And speaking of IMDb, it would be interesting if she did The Doctors before Flipper because everyone who is saying Flipper was her first role would be wrong...

The Wikipedia listing for The Doctors does list Denise as a cast member and does confirm that the character's name was Katie Harris. It does not list a year.
I tried scrolling through the IMDb listing for The Doctors to see if I could spot her name. Either there was no listing or I scrolled over it. I did see a listing for Joel Crothers though. No character listed; it just says early 1960's. I think that is probably before The Doctors became a continuing story.
Had you heard of this, MB?