Jet
Aug 22, 1963
Page. 22
Ebony
Mar 1966
As i search through the internet for additional information on Harolyn Dandrige, i come across questions from fans asking; Where is Harolyn? Many websites has reported that Harolyn lives in a mental institution somewhere in California. If this is true and Harolyn is still alive, he or she should be 66 year old.
Here's more:
According to Wikipedia, Dandridge married dancer and entertainer Harold Nicholas on September 6, 1942, and gave birth to her only child, Harolyn Suzanne Nicholas, on September 2, 1943.
When Dorothy Married Harold, they barely knew each other, and Dorothy was not naive to the fact of what a fast-paced life Harold led. He was wild and outgoing. Dottie was shy and reserved, intimidated by the opposite sex. Her friends called her “The Lady” as she never smoked, or drank, (even coffee).
The day Dandridge went into labor on September 2, 1943, she ignored the pains because her husband was still in Europe, though he was due home later that day. As the contractions got closer together, and the pain intensified, she finally made her way to the hospital. The birth proved a difficult one. Nevertheless, the baby, which she named Harolyn Suzanne Nicholas, seemed alright and Dorothy believed that the child would bring her and Harold closer. Sadly, that was not to be the case. Lynn, as she was called, was a happy child and the light of Dorothy’s life. However, by the time her daughter reached pre-school age, it became clear the child was not normal. She still couldn’t form words, only grunted, and seemed to be in a world all her own. Devastated, Dandridge took her daughter to every doctor and specialist she could find. She was told to do many at home remedies including hot baths and cold compacts, to no avail. Dottie tried to enroll the child in school, but no one would take her. She worried that her delay in going to the hospital may have harmed her child. But as she later learned, the surgical forceps used by the doctor during delivery damaged her child’s head. Nevertheless, Dottie always blamed herself for Lynn’s health issues.
When she received a prognosis of the child’s condition, the verdict was grim; Lynn was mentally retarded and would have the mental capacity of a four year old for the rest of her life. Dorothy was devastated.
Harold was quite indifferent to the situation at home. He spent most of his daughter’s early years pretending nothing was wrong, and felt as long as he bought his family nice things, all the problems would go away. He toured extensively in Europe, living the life of a bachelor. Dottie wrote to him constantly, pleading with him to help her with Lynn and to come back home. She begged him to accept the child as she was, and to be content as a married family man. He never replied to the letters, and his money stopped coming in the mail. When Dorothy finally succeeded in contacting him, he told her he liked his care-free life in Paris, and that their marriage was over.
Story Continues...
Posts
