'Willy Wonka' Star Denise Nickerson Taken off Medical Support Equipment

July 11, 2019 | by Cheryl Kahla

Denise Nickerson is best known for her portrayal of Violet Beauregarde in "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory." She was admitted to hospital in 2018 after having a stroke.

Today, a year later, her family made the heartbreaking decision to take her off "all medical equipment." As reported by TMZ, Nickerson is no longer receiving medication.

Her family explained in a Facebook post that none of the equipment was helping and was only making Nickerson uncomfortable.

Nickerson's family made the decision after the acclaimed actress suffered a "major medical emergency" earlier this week.

Nickerson, 62, had trouble breathing on her own due to a seizure and pneumonia. Doctors explained that she had too much CO2 in her blood and was "almost in a coma-like state."

She was admitted to the ICU, and her family set up a GoFundMe page to cover the medical expenses. Her son Josh explained:

"I'm sorry we are asking for help but we can't do it on our own. We need help. Anything you can spare is a big help."

At the time of writing, $6,528 of the $10,000 goal had been raised by 273 people in under 13 hours. Donations can be made here.

Apart from her appearance in "Willy Wonka," Nickerson also had roles in "Dark Shadows," "The Electric Company," and "Smile."

Nickerson retired from the film industry in 1978, and her last role was as 'Larry' Wilde in "Zero to Sixty."