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Leslie Charleson, ‘General Hospital’ icon, dies at 79

Leslie Charleson, the iconic actress known for her long-running portrayal of Monica Quartermaine on ABC’s General Hospital, has passed away at the age of 79.

Her death on January 12 marks the end of a remarkable era for fans and the entertainment world.

Fans of General Hospital, along with her family and colleagues, are now mourning the loss of the beautiful and talented Leslie Charleson, who passed away Sunday morning.

“It is with a heavy heart that I announce the passing of my dear friend and colleague, Leslie Charleson,” “General Hospital” executive producer Frank Valentini announced on the official Instagram account of General Hospital.

“Her enduring legacy has spanned nearly 50 years on ‘General Hospital’ alone and, just as Monica was the heart of the Quartermaines, Leslie was a beloved matriarch of the entire cast and crew. I will miss our daily chats, her quick wit and incredible presence on set. On behalf of everyone at ‘General Hospital,’ my heartfelt sympathy goes out to her loved ones during this difficult time.”The awkward advice

Leslie Charleson, who joined General Hospital in 1977, had been dealing with mobility issues from multiple falls.

The cause of Leslie Charleson’s death has not yet been disclosed, but her most recent fall led to hospitalization just a week before her passing.

Despite her challenges, the hardworking and wonderful actress stayed strong but hadn’t appeared on the show since December 2023.

Leslie Charleson, born February 22, 1945, in Kansas City, Missouri, grew up in a comfortable environment as the daughter of a publishing executive. Her neighbor, the president of ABC, helped make breaking into the industry a little easier. At just 19, she started her career in 1964 on the short-lived ABC daytime soap A Flame in the Wind. Soon after, she landed a role on As the World Turns, where her talent began to shine.

In 1993, she recalled advice given to her by soap veteran Roy Poole, who told her, “Don’t think of the 9 million people who are watching. And don’t worry about your hands.” Leslie chuckled about this, explaining, “All of a sudden, hands became something I had never seen before. I didn’t know what to do with them.”

But this trick helped her settle into her roles and, eventually, her hands were no longer a concern.

Breast cancer story

Charleson’s career continued to flourish. Since joining General Hospital in 1977, Charleson’s portrayal of Dr. Monica Quartermaine saw her character face incredible challenges — she gave up a child for adoption, was held hostage, and even battled breast cancer. Monica truly experienced it all, nut perhaps it was Monica’s breast cancer storyline from 1994 to 2000 that made the strongest impact.

”We had all women — women writers, a woman producer — and they had all been affected by breast cancer, including me. My mother had it,” Charleson said while being interviewed by costar Maurice Benard in a 2022.

”I went to Wellness Hospitals, just to see what it was like, because we wanted to be honest. So much of the soap had been fantasy time, but this we took special effort and concentrated effort to make sure it was done properly.”

Earned four Daytime Emmy nominations

As the the respected matriarch of the renowned Quartermaine family, Leslie earned four Daytime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 1980, 1982, 1983, and 1995. She also starred in the 1993 TV movie Woman on the Ledge, alongside Deidre Hall and Colleen Zenk.

Reflecting on her time on General Hospital, she recalled, “That was just an incredible time for ‘General Hospital.’ There was the magic of [producer] Gloria Monty. There was such a sense of excitement.”

Leslie’s career was defined by her dedication, passion, and ability to adapt, earning her a place as a soap opera legend. Best known for her iconic role on General Hospital, Leslie’s talent also shone in its spinoffs, including Port Charles (1997–2001) and General Hospital: Night Shift (2008).

In a 2019 interview with Digital Journal, Charleson shared her thoughts on what has contributed to her long career, saying, ”Interest in the material is what keeps you around and relationships.” She also pointed out a unique aspect of her experience, stating, ”I am the only actor on the show that doesn’t have another soap opera to talk about since I have never done another soap opera, while almost everybody else has.”

My prayers and condolences goes out to Leslie Charleson family and the cast of General Hospital. May she rest in peace!

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A Black baby was born to my wife, and I was by her side forever

There was an almost electric sense of expectancy in the delivery room. Emma, my wife, was lying on the hospital bed with her fingers clenched around mine and a look of excitement mixed with fatigue. A dreamlike atmosphere was created by the quiet voices of the nurses, the regular beeping of the monitors, and the doctor’s gentle words of encouragement.

It was this. The time we had been anticipating. Choosing baby clothes, experiencing small kicks in the middle of the night, and nine months of delight. We spent nine months wondering if our unborn child would have Emma’s golden hair. My angular cheekbones? The dimples that were inherited? Everything else in the room was broken by a piercing wail. The baby was here.

I looked over and saw the doctor gently lifting our baby, her face wrinkled up as she drew her first breaths, her tiny limbs wriggling. My eyes pricked with tears. She was flawless. But Emma’s terrified scream, which I had not anticipated, broke the moment.

“This isn’t my child!” The room became quiet. The nurses froze. The doctor paused in mid-step. I thought my wife would be overwhelmed, perhaps simply in shock from giving birth. However, the expression in her eyes was one of utter incredulity rather than simply fatigue.

In an attempt to maintain composure, one of the nurses gave a soft grin. She remarked, “She’s still attached to you,” as though to reassure my wife that nothing was wrong. Emma, however, gasped for air and shook her head angrily. “It’s not feasible! Never in my life have I dated a Black man!

The words were piercing and weighty as they hung in the air. Everyone was uncertain of how to respond, and the room remained strangely still. As I turned to face our daughter, a gorgeous newborn girl with skin that was substantially darker than either of ours, my heartbeat hammered in my ears. However, her features were definitely ours.

Emma was shaking next to me, and it felt like the whole world was tilting beneath her. I grounded her by squeezing her hand and making her look at me. I stated unequivocally, “She’s our baby,” in a firm voice. “That’s the only thing that counts.”

Emma’s gaze shifted from our daughter to me and back again. As a nurse gently placed the infant in her arms, she gasped. At first, she seemed hesitant to touch her, as though she was scared of something she didn’t comprehend. However, something changed the instant our daughter’s little fingers encircled her pinky.

She loosened her shoulders. Something softer replaced the stiffness in her face. She felt a mixture of relief, tiredness, and love as tears filled her eyes. She let out a trembling breath. She muttered, “She’s gorgeous.” The room seems to breathe once more. The nurses looked at each other but continued working. With a nod, the doctor and I exchanged a quiet agreement.

The days that followed were a haze. I found myself watching our kid nonstop while Emma recovered, trying to figure out what was going on. She had my chin, my nose, and even the same tiny frown I had as a newborn, so I knew without a doubt that she was my. However, Emma’s tirade persisted.

She had been so convinced, not because I had any suspicions or doubts about her. Emma was the first to propose the DNA test. “I just need to know,” she said one evening in a little, nearly embarrassed voice. “I do love her.” But I must comprehend.

So we did it. We waited after sending off the samples. Two weeks later, the results were received. Emma opened the email with shaking hands. My heart was racing as I stood behind her. As she read, she covered her mouth with one hand and gasped.

The screen showed her ancestry record, which in bold letters verified what we had never known: Emma had generations of African ancestry. She turned to face me, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I didn’t know,” she muttered. “All this time, I was unaware.”

I kissed the top of her head as I drew her into my arms. I muttered, “It doesn’t change anything.” “We own her. She was always. Emma laughed softly and drippingly. “I suppose my panic was in vain.” I grinned. “Well, people experience that during childbirth.” She pushed me and rolled her eyes, then turned to face our daughter, who was now soundly asleep in her cradle. There were no more questions after that. Just love. The world had its questions, of course.

Members of the family arched their brows. In supermarket stores, strangers made remarks on the discrepancies. “Is she adopted?” some even questioned. Emma would initially become uneasy when asked those questions because she wasn’t sure how to react. Then, however, she would smile and declare, “No,” with utter assurance.

We own her. We vowed to nurture our kid with pride in all facets of her background as the years went by. We studied the customs, background, and cultures associated with Emma’s DNA as we dug deeper into her newfound ancestry. We made sure our kid never doubted her place in the world by surrounding her with love.

She played with her fingers while sitting on Emma’s lap one evening when she was around five years old. She said, “Mommy?” “What causes my skin to differ from yours?” Emma brushed a curl from her forehead and grinned. “Because you are unique, my dear. You had a lovely past that we both shared. “Like a mix?” she tilted her head in question. “Exactly,” I remarked as I sat next to them. “Like the most exquisite painting, with both Mommy’s and Daddy’s colours.” Satisfied with the response, she smiled and resumed playing.

“Thank you for reminding me that day in the hospital,” Emma muttered as she sought for my hand as we watched her sleep that night. “For what purpose?” “That she belongs to us,” she declared. “That was all that was ever important.” And I knew without a doubt that I would always be there for them as I gazed at my daughter, who was so lovely and full of love. through each query. through each obstacle. through everything. Because appearances weren’t important in family. It wasn’t.

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Why You Should Avoid Killing House Centipedes

Centipedes are easy to recognize by their worm-like bodies, lots of legs, long antennas, yellow to dark brown colors, and small mouths with venom glands.

They can have 15 to 77 pairs of legs, which help them move quickly and climb walls.

Can a centipede bite you? Centipedes can bite and inject venom, but they usually aren’t dangerous to people or pets. Their bites might cause mild pain or redness, but nothing serious.

However, centipedes aren’t exactly creatures you’d want to welcome. Read on to learn more about centipedes, their predators, why you shouldn’t kill house centipedes yourself, and the benefits of using pest control services.

Five Facts About Centipedes You May Not Know
Here are some surprising facts about those centipedes in your basement:

The number of legs a centipede has is linked to its age. Centipedes grow more legs as they molt, and if they lose legs, they can regrow them over time through molting. It might take several molts to fully recover lost legs.
Centipedes are ancient creatures, with their ancestors dating back over 400 million years.

Centipedes are surprisingly fast. Thanks to their many legs, segmented body, and waxy outer layer, they can move over a foot in less than a second when chasing prey or escaping predators.
Centipedes eat a variety of animals. While smaller species go for insects, worms, and roaches, larger centipedes can handle much bigger prey.
Some centipedes, like the common house centipede, can live for up to six years.

Even though their history is fascinating, you likely don’t want these creatures lurking in your basement.

What Are Centipedes’ Natural Predators?
Centipedes are hunted by birds, certain spiders, mice, frogs, beetles, and snakes. Larger centipedes, in turn, feed on animals like frogs and spiders. Predators like frogs and spiders usually target young or weak centipedes that can’t escape quickly.

Why You Shouldn’t Kill a House Centipede
If you spot a house centipede, it might be tempting to get rid of it yourself, but it’s better not to. Having a few house centipedes around isn’t always a bad thing.

Centipedes can be helpful by getting rid of spiders, roaches, and other pests, without building nests or webs. However, their presence can become a problem. While a few centipedes might help control pests, a larger colony can be a nuisance and may even attract more unwanted pests.

Centipedes can live up to 10 years, so you probably don’t want them staying in your home for too long. Even if they aren’t a major problem yet, it’s a good idea to call pest control experts. An infestation might be a sign of a bigger pest issue, and centipedes aren’t always enough to fully manage harmful pests like cockroaches.

Feel free to share this information with your family and friends!

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Could Alzheimer’s Actually Start in Your Mouth?

Scientists are investigating a surprising possibility: gum disease may cause Alzheimer’s, challenging long-held assumptions about how the memory-robbing condition begins. Traditionally, doctors attribute Alzheimer’s to a mix of genetics, age-related brain changes, and environmental factors—but a growing body of research points toward gum health as a key player in the disease’s development. If these findings hold up, it might be time to upgrade our dental care routines.

Bacteria in the Brain?

Back in 2019, a team of experts noticed that the bacterium behind chronic gum disease (Porphyromonas gingivalis) turned up in the brains of people who had Alzheimer’s. Meanwhile, lab tests on mice revealed that oral infections could trigger the production of amyloid beta—those pesky proteins often linked to dementia. Although many researchers stop short of saying gum disease may cause Alzheimer’s outright, they agree it’s a connection worth exploring further.

The Mouth-Brain Connection

Stephen Dominy of Cortexyme, a startup that looks into all things neurodegenerative, once explained that we’ve suspected germs might spark Alzheimer’s for a while, but the evidence wasn’t strong enough. Then his team found markers of gum bacteria in both diagnosed Alzheimer’s patients and in some who hadn’t been diagnosed. So the real question is whether dementia leads to poor dental care—or if something lurking in your gums could help kick-start the disease. Either way, gum disease may cause Alzheimer’s is a hypothesis that’s impossible to ignore.

Should We Rethink Prevention?

For now, many experts say we shouldn’t panic. Regular brushing, flossing, and dentist visits are always good ideas, regardless of any potential Alzheimer’s link. Still, the notion that a seemingly distant infection could affect our brain health reminds us that the body is one interconnected system. Keeping an eye on gum health just might be another tool in fighting cognitive decline in the future.

All Images Including Featured Image Are Licensed With Freepik.

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