Copyright independent
Hollywood icon Sally Kirkland has entered hospice care after suffering two separate life-threatening infections and several major falls over the past year, all while living with dementia. The actor, 84, who earned a Best Actress nomination at the 1988 Oscars for her lead role in the indie drama Anna, is in hospice care at a hospital in Palm Springs, California, her representative Michael Greene told TMZ. The Independent has contacted Greene for comment. Last November, Kirkland’s friends launched a GoFundMe to raise money for her medical costs, which they said had accumulated due to her need for “extensive hospitalizations and rehab.” “In 2021 SAG-AFTRA cancelled the supplement insurance for members over the age of 65 that served as members’ Medigap coverage,” the GoFundMe page reads. “The chaotic and confusing transition to another Medigap policy was marked with significant challenges leaving Sally with extensive out of pocket costs that have exceeded her savings and monthly pension income.” It adds: “As a result today, she finds herself facing a significant health crisis — one that has not only affected her well-being but also requires urgent and quality medical care that she can no longer afford. “This past year Sally fractured her four bones in her neck, right wrist, and her left hip. While recovering she developed two separate life-threatening infections. The combination of these injuries and infections have required extensive hospitalizations and rehab beyond the 100 days insurance will cover.” In a new update shared November 7, the GoFundMe organizer said that Kirkland is in hospice now and “is resting comfortably.” “Thank you for all your love and support. Sally is grateful for your kindness and love,” they wrote. “Please hold and send the light for Sally.” Kirkland is perhaps best known for her titular role in Yurek Bogayevicz’s Anna (1987), about a starry-eyed Czech immigrant who travels to New York City to meet her hero, Anna, a once-famous actor from her homeland. Kirkland not only earned an Oscar nomination for her portrayal but went on to win the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture — Drama. She has starred in more than 250 movies and TV shows throughout her 60-year career, including The Sting (1973), The Haunted (1991), and Bruce Almighty (2003), as well as the entire 65-episode run of the 1994 drama series Valley of the Dolls. She was also a former member of Andy Warhol’s The Factory and a part of New York City’s 1960s avant-garde theater.
