Actor Marla Gibbs is opening up about surviving a brain aneurysm and stroke in 2006, reflecting on the life-threatening health crisis and the long recovery that followed.
In her new memoir, "It's Never Too Late," Gibbs, 94, recalled the experience and the lessons she drew from it.
In an excerpt shared with People, she wrote that most people don't survive "brain aneurysms, so I knew God still had plans for me."
"The more my strength and memory came back, the more trouble I got into," she wrote. "As I said before, I'm Gemini and my mind is always curious and always working … not always for the better."
The medical emergency required a lengthy stay in a rehabilitation facility, where Gibbs faced serious physical challenges. She struggled with having to rely on others for even the simplest daily tasks.
"I wanted to go to the bathroom on my own. The bathroom was right next to my bed so I could not understand why I needed help to get there," she wrote. "Every time they would leave the room, I would sneak out of the bed and end up on the floor."
She also described emotional strain and doubts about whether she would return to acting.
"There was just something inside me that kept saying, 'It ain't over.' But when I got home and looked at the old woman staring back at me in the mirror I said, 'Maybe it is over.' Maybe my days as an actress are gone," she wrote.
As part of her recovery, Gibbs participated in occupational, physical and speech therapy on an outpatient basis.
While attempting to demonstrate her improvement to a friend, she suffered a fall.
"I went to outpatient rehab for occupational, physical and speech therapy," she recalled. "As I progressed, they had me do a light jog across the room. My friend, Chrystal Carmichael from Detroit, came to help. The first day she got here, we went walking, and then I wanted to show her I could jog, and I fell and hit my head."
Gibbs described the moment as "embarrassing" and "disheartening."
"I complained to the rehab center, and the nurse said, 'We didn't tell you to jog at home!'" she wrote.
Over time, Gibbs said she recognized the importance of adjusting to her circumstances.
"I finally accepted where I was at in my recovery," she said. "I had always been an independent woman who juggled multiple projects. Now, I was totally dependent and could do nothing. Acceptance of where I was in my recovery was essential to me healing, and I think acceptance is key to healing in life."
Gibbs, born in Chicago in 1931, rose to prominence after being cast as Florence Johnston on the CBS sitcom "The Jeffersons" in 1975, according to IMDb. Initially written as a one-time guest role, the character became a central presence on the series, earning Gibbs five Emmy Award nominations.
After a short-lived spin-off, "Checking In" (1981), she returned to "The Jeffersons" until its conclusion in 1985.
That same year, she transitioned to another leading television role in NBC's "227," portraying Mary Jenkins in the Norman Lear-produced comedy, which ran for five seasons.
Gibbs also built an extensive career in television and film. Her credits include guest and recurring roles on shows such as "ER," "The Hughleys," "Scandal," "Hot in Cleveland," "American Horror Story," "This Is Us," "Black-ish," "NCIS" and "One Day at a Time."
On the big screen, she has appeared in films including "The Meteor Man," "The Brothers," "The Visit," "Madea's Witness Protection," "Please Stand By" and "She Ball."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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