Child Star Gary Coleman May Be Near Death

It is sad to report that television favorite, Gary Coleman, who is best remembered for the role of Arnold Jackson, in the very popular "Different Strokes" program is now on life support in his home state of Utah. Coleman and the Different Strokes cast produced 184 episodes of that show in the period from 1978 until 1986.

Arnolds (Gary Coleman) older sister was played by the youthful and talented Dana Plato, who died in 1978. At that time Mr. Coleman said: "It's very unfortunate that Dana is no longer with us - she was a wonderful woman, but her death was a welcome, though sad piece of closure to "Diff'rent Strokes". The possibility of a reunion no longer exists now, and thank God."

Different Strokes had a wide range of appeal, and was one of the more popular situation comedy series of all time. Conrad Bain portrayed rich and philosophical Philip Drummond. Drummond, who lived in a palatial apartment in New York City had a daughter, Kimberly -- Dana Plato. Drummond, who was white by ethnicity, adopted two young sons; the boys, polite, well behaved, and respectful, were black - also by ethnicity. The older boy, Willis, was Todd Bridges; the younger, Arnold, was Gary Coleman.

Gary Coleman took a fall in his Utah home earlier this week (May, 2010), and suffered a brain hemorrhage.
The 42 year old Coleman, born February 8, 1968, is now on life support in the Intensive Care Unit at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center, near his home in Santaquin, 55 miles south of Salt Lake City. At mid-morning, May 27, Mr. Coleman was "conscious and lucid" according to his manager John Alcantar. But by early afternoon, "Mr. Coleman was slipping in and out of consciousness and his condition worsened." Alcantar continues, "We are saddened to announce that since mid-afternoon, Mountain Time, on May 27, 2010, Mr. Coleman has been unconscious and on life support."
Alcantar concluded, saying, "He always has had fond memories of being an entertainer and appreciates his fans for all their support over the years.

Gary Coleman to this point has had a full and varied life. During the year 2000, he ran for a seat in the U.S. Senate, focusing on issues of "Homelessness, Education, Crime, and Killers"; In addition, he proposed a universal health insurance system based on a $30 flat monthly fee.

Gary Coleman was discovered as a very young man by a talent scout, searching for talent to re-make,for television, "The Little Rascals" which was never produced.

Coleman was tied up for a period in a law suit against his adopted parents who he claimed misappropriated his trust fund. He was making $70,000.00 for each episode of "Different Strokes", his worth at the time, $18,000,000. His parents however structured the trust fund to pay themselves a hefty share of that amount. Coleman only received $770,000.00; but he successfully sued his parents for $3.8 million! It should be said that of his parents, Coleman is quoted as saying:
"My parents were as much under the thumb of everyone else -- the network, all the people that are part of the Hollywood machine -- as I was. I have worked on episodes of "Diff'rent Strokes" 15 hours straight. And everyone was looking the other way and no one said anything."

Coleman was born in Zion, Illinois. He married in secret his girlfriend from the 2006 comedy film Church Ball, Shannon Price, on August 28, 2007. In early May of 2008, the couple appeared on the T.V. show, "Divorce Court" in hopes of "saving their marriage".

We can only hope for recovery for the precocious Gary Coleman. He has been a great child star, and a hard working trooper.