“The Jeffersons” star Marla Gibbs revealed that she suffered a brain aneurysm and stroke that nearly took her life.
In an excerpt from her new memoir “It’s Never Too Late” that was obtained by People magazine, the 94-year-old actress, who played the sharp-tongued housekeeper Florence Johnson throughout the hit sitcom’s 11-season run from 1975 to 1985, shared that she experienced the medical crisis in 2006.
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Gibbs recounted her long and difficult recovery, which included rehabilitation, emotional struggles and relearning physical.
“Most people do not survive brain aneurysms, so I knew God still had plans for me,” Gibbs wrote. “The more my strength and memory came back, the more trouble I got into.”
“As I said before, I’m Gemini and my mind is always curious and always working … not always for the better,” she continued.
“For instance, I did not want to use the diapers while in rehab. I wanted to go to the bathroom on my own,” Gibbs explained. “The bathroom was right next to my bed so I could not understand why I needed help to get there. Every time they would leave the room, I would sneak out of the bed and end up on the floor.”
Gibbs shared that her family eventually requested medical workers to tie her to her bed. However, she remembered that she remained determined to regain her independence though she admitted she began having private doubts about her ability to fully recover.
“I watched carefully as the nurses tied me up, so I could untie myself as soon as they left,” Gibbs wrote. “And you guessed it … I’d be on the floor again. I said to myself, ‘Marla, we gotta stop ending up down here, we’re not getting anywhere.’ There was just something inside me that kept saying, ‘It ain’t over.'”
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“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 recalled.
In the years leading up to her stroke, Gibbs had been working steadily, with roles in films including “The Visit” and “Madea’s Witness Protection” and taking on guest spots in TV shows like “ER,” “Cold Case,” “Passions,” “Arli$$,” and “The Hughleys.”
In addition to her work as an actress, Gibbs had also embarked on a music career. In May 2006, she released a CD titled “It’s Never Too Late.”
Looking back, Gibbs explained that the emotional aftermath of her health crisis and contending with her fears for her future proved just as difficult as the physical recovery.
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“Recovery was hard, and it took every ounce of physical, mental and spiritual strength I could muster,” she wrote. “I started questioning why it happened, especially when I still had so many plans for my life. I was getting ready to tour with my new jazz CD, but as they say, man makes plans and God laughs. This wasn’t funny though.”
“I sank into a deep depression,” she continued. “I felt like maybe it was time for me to go. I didn’t want to get up. I didn’t want to do anything.”
“My family had a caretaker come and help,” Gibbs added. “She would fix breakfast and help them clean, but it was just a difficult time. It’s humbling when you can’t do anything for yourself. My mind told me I could walk, but I couldn’t without help.”
Gibbs recalled that she eventually entered an outpatient rehabilitation facility where she underwent occupational, physical and speech therapy.
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“As I progressed, they had me do a light jog across the room,” she recalled. “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.”
“It was embarrassing, but mostly it was disheartening,” she continued. “I complained to the rehab center, and the nurse said, ‘We didn’t tell you to jog at home!’ I finally accepted where I was at in my recovery. I had always been an independent woman who juggled multiple projects. Now, I was totally dependent and could do nothing.”
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“Acceptance of where I was in my recovery was essential to me healing, and I think acceptance is key to healing in life.”
Over time, Gibbs recovered and returned to acting with guest roles in hit TV series including “Lincoln Heights,” “House of Payne,” “Scandal,” “Hot in Cleveland,” “Black-ish,” “This Is Us,” “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Days of Our Lives” among others.
Most recently, she appeared in “Chicago Med,” “The Upshaws,” “Will Trent” and “Grey’s Anatomy.”
“It’s Never Too Late” will be published on Feb. 24
