This Girl Became a Successful Child Star
Adoption and Childhood
Melissa Gilbert was born in Los Angeles in 1964 and adopted when she was one day old by Barbara Crane and Paul Gilbert.
She grew up believing her biological father had been a Rhodes Scholar and her mother a prima ballerina, but later discovered those stories were untrue.
Discovering the Truth
Melissa learned that her biological mother had been a dancer, while her father worked as a stock car racer and sign painter.
The truth about her family history changed her understanding of her childhood.
A Painful Loss
Paul Gilbert died in 1976. Melissa was initially told he had suffered a stroke, but years later discovered he had died by suicide.
The revelation devastated her, leading to months of grief and struggles with eating and sleeping. She eventually sought professional help and investigated what had happened.
Resilience and Healing
Melissa later forgave her adoptive mother and chose to honor her father by supporting mental-health awareness and suicide prevention.
She became famous as Laura Ingalls Wilder on Little House on the Prairie, appearing from 1974 to 1983.
Her story shows that “a painful start does not have to determine the rest of a person’s life.”
