Danny Bonaduce, radio host and former child star of The Partridge Family, has shared some painful health news.
The 63-year-old announced he will undergo brain surgery for a neurological disorder called hydrocephalus, a condition that has caused a build up of fluid in his brain.
Bonaduce had been suffering from debilitating symptoms for over a year, including slurred speech and balance issues. He recently told TMZ the surgery will drain liquid from his brain through a shunt.
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What happened to Danny Bonaduce?
It was in April of 2022 that Bonaduce and his wife, Amy Railsback, first noticed symptoms of ill health, with his speech becoming slurred. He also lost his ability to walk or balance.
After being hospitalised for five days and undergoing a series of tests, doctors ruled out a stroke but struggled to come up with a diagnosis.
Now the star is going in for brain surgery in the hopes it’ll alleviate his symptoms and help get him back on track.
What is Danny Bonaduce’s condition hydrocephalus?
Hydrocephalus is a neurological disorder caused by a build-up of cerebrospinal fluid deep in the brain. The build-up occurs in the ventricles (cavities) and causes the ventricles to widen, putting harmful pressure on the brain’s tissues.
If left untreated, hydrocephalus can result in brain damage or death. While there isn’t a cure, the condition can be managed with surgery.
The symptoms of the disorder include difficulty walking, memory problems, headaches, nausea, vision problems, and incontinence.
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How did Danny Bonaduce become sick?
While Bonaduce doesn’t know the full reason as to what caused his condition, he told TMZ he wonders if it’s related to the wear and tear he’s put himself through over the years, citing his boxing career.
The actor has participated in numerous celebrity boxing events for charity, fighting against Donny Osmond, José Canseco, Robert Shapiro, and Barry Williams.
Bonaduce also had a stint as a professional wrestler and was a key player in the series Hulk Hogan’s Celebrity Championship Wrestling.
The ex-child star has previously opened up about addiction issues, telling Oprah Winfrey in an interview that he was probably “legally drunk for about 25 years”.
Danny Bonaduce’s life and career over the years
Bonaduce, born in 1959, became famous as a child actor in the 1970s, starring as Danny Partridge in The Partridge Family.
Bonaduce is the son of veteran TV writer and producer Joseph Bonaduce, and has previously said he grew up in a dysfunctional family, suffering severe physical and emotional abuse at the hands of his father.
During and post-Partridge Family, Bonaduce starred in several movies before his career fizzled out in the 1980s. He made a handful of appearances in ’90s shows like Married…with Children, The Drew Carey Show, and Sabrina, The Teenage Witch.
In 2005, Bonaduce starred in his own reality show, VH1’s Breaking Bonaduce. The show ran for two seasons and focused on the former child star’s increasingly chaotic life with his then-wife Gretchen and their two children.
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His relationship and family history
Bonaduce has been married three times and is the father of two children.
Bonaduce married his first wife Setsuko Hattori in 1985, and they couple divorced in 1988.
In 1990, Bonaduce went on a blind date with Gretchen Hilmer and they married on the same day. Despite the unusual circumstances, the pair remained married for over 16 years and had two children together. They divorced in 2007.
He met his now-wife Amy Railsback in 2007 and they married in 2010.
Will brain surgery help Danny Bonaduce?
In an interview, Bonaduce said that if the diagnosis is correct, his condition will be better post-surgery.
“From what I hear, if the diagnosis is correct and it’s hydrocephalus, it will be 50 per cent better right out [of surgery],” Bonaduce said, but he noted that he doesn’t want to “get [his] hopes up too much that [he’ll] be cured.”
“I will be completely bummed out if this doesn’t work,” he added. “I can’t walk correctly. I’m never going to run track, I’m never gonna box again, but if I can get from here to the kitchen on my own, bravo!”
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