Little House on the Prairie star passed away from 'common type of tumor': What is meningioma?

Sad news for fans of the series Little House on the Prairie. On Wednesday 23 August, The Hollywood Reporter announced the death of one of the show's actresses, Hersha Parady.

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Although she retired from acting in the early 2000s, the world knows her best for her role on The Little House on the Prairie. From the fourth season onwards, she played the character of Alice Garvey, a schoolteacher in Walnut Grove. She also played other roles in the films The Break and Little House Years.

According to sources reporting her death, the actress died after being diagnosed with a brain tumor that impacted her in the last years of her life. Her son, who shared the news of his mother's death, was with her at the time.

Hersha Parady's long illness

Hersha Parady's son announced his mother's death to The Hollywood Reporter on Thursday 24 August. Aged 78, the actress passed away after a long battle with a brain tumor. Even though Parady was famous for her role on the iconic 70s show, her son was struggling to deal with the colossal costs of the medical care the actress required. Last month, her son had set up an online fund to help with the expenses. As the time he wrote:

This illness has robbed her of her strength, her memory, and sadly, her vibrant personality. She has become largely bedridden, and it is very difficult to see my Mom, who was once full of life and energy, now struggling with basic daily activities.

Her son had also taken the decision to remove his mom from her Californian home and have her move in with him so he could take care of her.

we decided to move her from Los Angeles to live with me and my family in Virginia, and while we are working to ensure she gets the medical help she needs, the costs associated with her care are mounting

Her son hoped that they would have time to have doctors operate on the tumor in order to help her but unfortunately, the actress passed away before.

Harsha Parady dies at 78: Fans mourn death of beloved 'Little House on the Prairie' starhttps://t.co/UWtZ5zMfu9
— suman das (@sumanda77235252) August 25, 2023

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What is meningioma?

Now, if you visit the crowdfunding page set up by Hersha Parady's son, you will find his full statement.

She fought a courageous battle against a challenging medical condition, and even in her struggle, she continued to inspire us with her strength and resilience. At one point, a doctor expressed to me her surprise that she had stayed with us for this long.

Her son confirmed that the brain tumor she had is the cause of death. According to Mayo Clinic, Meningioma is 'a tumor that arises from the meninges — the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord.' The health specialist also details:

Meningioma is the most common type of tumor that forms in the head. (...) Most meningiomas grow very slowly, often over many years without causing symptoms.

It appears that this type of tumor happens most often in women and at an older age.

Other actors of Little House on the Prairie

40 years after the last episode aired, the cast of Little House on the Prairie has come a long way, and somehave since passed away. In 2018, Katherine MacGregor, the unforgettable Harriet Oleson, breathed her last breath at the age of 93. More recently, in January of 2023, actor Lance Kerwin, who played DannyPeters in the series, passed away at the age of just 62.

In addition to these deaths, in 2022 an actor from the show found himself at the heart of a controversy. Radames Pera, known in the show as John Sanderson Edwards, was charged with raping a 5-year-old girl. The events took place in France.

This article was adapted from Oh!MyMag France