Condolences from the daytime community are going out to Days of our Lives star Martha Madison. The actress, who plays Belle on the NBC soap opera, has shared on social media news of a deep, personal loss.
“We got the call two weeks ago that the end was near,” Madison wrote on Instagram about her mother, Barbara Baggs. “Since then, my two sisters and I have been sitting at my mother’s bedside as we’ve reminisced, shared stories about our Mom, and reflected on our individual and collective childhoods.
“We’ve laughed a lot. We’ve cried a lot. We’ve taken turns lying next to her, holding her hand, thanking her for her love and guidance, and reassuring her that she successfully completed her mission here even with the odds so often against her,” the actress added.
“At only 69 years old, and after a grueling 18 year battle with Frontotemporal Dementia, my mother finally let go this afternoon and joined our team of angels. The duration of her fight is a true testament to her grit, stubbornness, and strong heart,” Madison shared. “Thankfully, these qualities run deep in our family.
“We are so grateful to her devoted caregivers and hospice nurses who’ve become family to us over the last six years and who have very obviously loved our Mom,” the actress wrote. “We are also grateful to @theaftd community for providing support and guidance along the way. We are so relieved that she is no longer suffering, but of course, we are also completely heartbroken.
“My mother was incredible and complex and more things than any string of adjectives could properly describe,” Madison affirms. “She was a single parent, and more than anything else she wanted her legacy to be about raising educated, honest, self-sufficient girls with a strong backbone and unwavering integrity. She did that.
“With three daughters, five granddaughters and a sister, my Mom inadvertently built an army of women who will continue the good fight for FTD research, treatment, a cure, and an extension of death with dignity rights for those afflicted with this hideous disease,” Madison concludes. “#RIP #Mommy #MomOfDaughters #GirlArmy #FTD #DeathWithDignity #AFTD 1437 ❤️”
Many of Madison’s daytime pals have left words of support on the actress’s post, which can be read below. Soap Hub sends deep condolences to Madison and her family at this difficult time.
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