Urgent:Karen Grassle Just Admitted To The Hospital In a Critical Health Condition Actress and activist Karen Grassle rose to notable fame with her 1974 role as Ma in the "Little House on the Prairie" series. Since then, Grassle has ventured into other projects — both on- and off-screen. Grassle shares many of the hardships that helped her become the inspirational woman she is today in her 2021 memoir "Bright Lights, Prairie Dust: Reflections on Life, Loss, and Love from Little House's Ma." Grassle also speaks candidly about another recent endeavor that is very personal to her: she plays a lovable grandmother named Melody in the family-friendly film "Not to Forget." With many of twists and a dash of humor, "Not to Forget" addresses Alzheimer's disease, a serious topic. Furthermore, Grassle informs us that she has firsthand experience with dementia. Throughout our talk, Grassle's openness, humor, and warmth were evident no matter what topic we discussed. In her extremely final years, my own mother experienced dementia. For many years, far into her 80s, she remained as sharp as a pin. ...