Veteran Actress Sally Kirkland Facing Health Crisis After Life-Threatening Illnesses, Bone Fractures

Friends of Sally Kirkland are rallying around the veteran actress as she faces an “urgent need” of assistance following a series of health scares including two “life-threatening infections” and fractures in her neck, wrist and hip. Kirkland now requires a level of medical care beyond what she can afford, and those friends have launched a GoFundMe fundraiser to help the 83-year-old with expenses.

The fundraiser, which went live on Monday, details Kirkland’s health crisis and claims that her situation has been exacerbated by controversial changes made to SAG-AFTRA‘s health plan for senior guild members and the 2007 market crash that claimed the “bulk of her investments” and the money she earned during the peak years of her career.

“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,” states the GoFundMe, which has a goal of $65,000. “The combination of these injuries and infections have required extensive hospitalizations and rehab beyond the 100 days insurance will cover. As the days pass, lack of proper care greatly diminishes Sally’s chance of a full recovery. However, with the right medical support, we know she has a strong chance of overcoming this setback and returning to the work she loves.”

Organized with “gratitude, hope and love” by Paige Dylan, Coty Galloway and Mel England, the friends praise Kirkland as a generous force in their lives. “Sally has been more than just a friend — she has been a maternal figure offering encouragement, wisdom and love when it was needed most. For those who know Sally personally, she has been a limitless source of generosity, kindness and unwavering spirit. And while she has meant so much to so many around her, she has never had the luxury of a life partner or children to lean on in difficult times. But she has always prioritized being there for others, given everything she has to her craft, her church, her friends and her community.”

Kirkland’s career spans seven decades, dating back to the 1960s. She has starred in more than 300 projects, including The Sting, Private Benjamin, EdTV, Bruce Almighty, The Haunted, Best of The Best, Revenge, Coffee Date, Roseanne, JFK, A Brave New World and Anna, the latter which landed her a best actress Oscar nomination in 1988. She also earned a Golden Globe nomination and a Spirit Award trophy for her leading role in the Yurek Bogayevicz-directed film. Kirkland has continued to work at a brisk pace in recent years. Her most recent film is the indie Sallywood for writer-director Xaque Gruber opposite Tyler Steelman and Tom Connolly.