Dodie from ‘My Three Sons’ Woke up from a Coma & Spouse Is Nursing Her Back to Life on Depleting Savings
- Dawn Lyn from the 60s sitcom "My Three Sons" miraculously awoke from a coma after brain surgery.
- After leaving Hollywood to live a modest life with her husband, the 60-year-old served in the Department of Defense.
- Her devoted husband never left her side and has been nursing her back to health, and now humbly asks for donations to continue caring for her.
Dawn Lyn started her career in Hollywood as a child star who was only six years old when she scored her big break on the 60s classic "My Three Sons." This made her the youngest talent working on the set at the time. After a three-year run, the show ended, though Lyn continued to work in the industry for a little while longer.
Amongst her final roles as a child star came her feature in "Wonder Woman," co-starring opposite her brother, American singer Leif Garrett. However, as she continued to age and reach adulthood, the acting opportunities began to dwindle.
Dawn Lyn as Dodie Douglas in "My Three Sons" in Los Angeles, 1969. | Source: Getty Images
Apart from a few roles garnered after "My Three Sons" ended in 1972, Lyn is still best known and mostly recognized as little Dodie Douglas. Realizing her roles as an actor diminishing, Lyn started using her voice. She began recording on Santa Catalina Island in California for the Avalon Community Radio Troupe.
After deciding that Hollywood was no longer the place for her, Lyn found love with her husband, John Reese, and the pair got married. The couple has been together for over 25 years, leading a modest life.
Fred MacMurray, Dawn Lyn, Beverly Garland as their characters in "My Three Sons" in 1969 | Source: Getty Images
Lyn had been living the life of an ordinary civilian with her husband. The pair made friends with fellow members of their residence community and actively participated in community gatherings and events. They had even started careers with the Department of Defense.
However, everything changed after it was discovered that Lyn had a tumor. After seeking medical attention, Lyn was informed that she would need to have surgery, which, according to her husband, did not end up going well. He revealed:
"A tumor and what appears to be a botched surgery put her into [a dire] situation."
Carolyn Stellar and her daughter Dawn Lyn at the 1st Annual Rock-n-Roll Sports Classic in 1978. | Source: Getty Images
Dawn Lyn Fell into a Coma and Miraculously Woke Up
Lyn underwent brain surgery in October last year to remove a non-malignant tumor. The procedure took place at one of the best hospitals in California, and after the surgery was done, Lyn got discharged. Everything seemed fine until a few days after the surgery when Lyn contracted bacterial meningitis and fell into a coma.
Fellow co-star on "My Three Sons" and close friend Tina Cole was devasted when she heard the news and immediately alerted fans of Lyn and of the show on Facebook. Cole told the public that Lyn was fighting for her life in the hospital and that her husband, Reese, remained in contact with her to update her on the situation.
Lois Neddleton and Dawn Lyn in the "Child of Silence" episode of "My Three Sons" in 1974. | Source: Getty Images
On December 8, 2022, Cole received a long-awaited positive update on Lyn's health status: Lyn had awoken from her coma. TMZ gave an update on Lyn's improvement.
Cole let TMZ know that Lyn's husband, Reese, had given her a positive update via text on a Monday night. His wife had been doing better than ever since she underwent the operation.
Lyn continues to fight as hard as she can to recover fully while her doting husband remains at her side, helping her every step of the way.
Dawn Lyn and her mother Carolyn Stellar at the Eddie Rabbit and Sondra Locke Opening in 1979. | Source: Getty Images
The "Walking Tall" talent had begun slowly making a recovery, and it was reported that she had started to breathe on her own with oxygen assistance. Additionally, Cole divulged:
"Although she is unable to speak on her own just yet, when I talked to her, her husband happily told me she was reacting. Thank you for all your prayers, and it truly is a Christmas miracle!"
Dawn Lyn at the screening of "The Comeback Kids" in Los Angeles, 2015. | Source: Getty Images
On February 26 of this year, Cole was over the moon to receive a phone call from none other than Lyn herself. While speaking to Fox News, Cole explained how her phone rang, and she immediately thought it was Reese, as he had been the one calling her back and forth with updates on Lyn's case.
When Cole received the call, she was at her grandson's soccer game and had to step away to hear who was on the other side of the line, and to her pleasant surprise, the raspy voice was Lyn's. In her succeeding update to fans, Cole expressed:
"Just shows you miracles do happen. She's weak but recovering. That's all I'll be sharing for now, [and] thank you to all those who prayed for her recovery."
Dawn's Spouse Gives an Update on Her after the 8-Month Fight for Her Life
The eight-month battle that all started when Lyn contracted meningitis was extremely tough on her spouse, who has been her primary caregiver ever since. While Reese had help from their insurance company, who paid for the procedure and covered hospital costs (a figure upwards of $2 million), insurance stopped paying at the end of the eight-month mark.
This meant that the duration of Lyn's hospitalization, which totals $8,000 a day, had to start being covered by whatever money the couple had saved. The cover includes daily therapy sessions and continued treatment, and though she has made leaps and bounds in her recovery since October 2022, Reese updates:
"She remains in isolation, still in such a delicate condition that she can't yet be discharged to a lesser skilled nursing facility. If she could come home, a caregiver (not a nurse) would still be about $5,000 per month."
With the hospital expenses rapidly chipping away at the couple's lifetime savings, they will soon exhaust all their assets and may be compelled to then sell their home. According to Reese, Lyn is still a fair bit of months away from returning to their home. Thus, he made a plea to her fans to help out with funding her recovery:
"I'm just an old soldier who loves his wife. I have never asked for money before. It is humbling to ask for money after eight months of holding the financial line of copayments, ambulances, and specialized care... Dawn is a genuine, sincere, honest, and lovely person currently stuck in a situation not of her own making."
According to Reese, Lyn also wants to recover in time for an upcoming comedic film she has the opportunity to play a part in next year. Reese remains relentlessly devoted to ensuring his beloved wife fully recovers by any means necessary. His level of devotion is confirmed by a friend of Lyn's:
"Her husband has been totally devoted to [Lyn's] recovery... Please keep my friend and her husband in your thoughts and prayers."
Lyn continues to fight as hard as she can to recover fully while her doting husband remains at her side, helping her every step of the way. The GoFundMe page, which Reese organized, is still active, and the couple remains hopeful for donations.
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