Valerie Harper turns 80

Valerie Harper turns 80 today, a milestone birthday her family and friends were afraid she wouldn't see. Just last month, it was reported that Harper's health had made a turn for the worse in recent months, and her husband (who turned 80 last week) was told by doctors she didn't have much longer to live.

Harper was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer in early 2013, after battling lung cancer in 2009. In January, 2013 she went public with her illness and said she was given a prognosis of just 6 months to live. Yet the actress battled against the illness by treating it with different medications, including a pill which cost $1,000 - taken twice a day. She and her husband say this alternative treatment has extended her life by an additional 6 years, though it wiped out their life savings of millions of dollars (her family has set up a go-fund-me page for her care these days).

Her health began to deteriorate the past few months, and now she's no longer able to speak or understand words. A few weeks ago, her husband said he would not put her in hospice, but would consider having hospice come to the home, where Harper wants to spend her last days.