Soap opera alum Randolph "Randy" Mantooth (ex-Kirk Harmon, One Life to Live; ex-Hal Munson, As the World Turns; ex-Joe Ford, Dallas; ex-Richard Halifax, General Hospital) took to Facebook this week to share that he was recently diagnosed with cancer and has begun a battle of survival against the life-threatening condition.
"I know I've been absent from social media for a long time now, so I want to start by thanking my fans and followers for hanging in there with me. Your unfailing loyalty never ceases to amaze me. It means more to me than you'll ever know," he began. "Earlier this year, I was diagnosed with cancer, and I decided to share that news with only a small circle of family and friends, who respected and honored my request for privacy, and were there to help every step of the way. It pleases me to say that I have successfully completed treatment and have begun the long recovery process. I am feeling stronger every day and am focusing now on getting back to my normal life as quickly as I can."
The actor then went on to share that the past few months have been extremely difficult for his family, as his sister, Nancy Jean Mantooth Dehoyos, lost her own long battle with cancer. "Though it wasn't easy, I feel blessed I was able to spend time with her in Houston and had the opportunity to say goodbye to her just before her passing," he said, before sharing, "I can't promise you all that I'll be writing blogs or posting regularly on Facebook again anytime soon. But, believe me, your continued patience and good wishes are so much appreciated. I'll let you all know when I'm back on the road again! You'll see my signals flashing... Thank you and God bless you all."
In addition to his soap roles, Mantooth -- who starred on OLTL in 2007, ATWT from 2003-2005, and GH from 1992-1993 -- is known for his roles on Sons of Anarchy and the hit 1970s series Emergency.
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