Actor Rondell Sheridan, best known for playing Victor Baxter on the Raven-Symoné-led Disney Channel sitcom “That’s So Raven,” has asked his fans and followers for donations after being hospitalized for pancreatitis last month.
“I went to the hospital, and they thought it was gastric,” he said in the clip while lying in a hospital bed.
Sheridan was released two days later. However, he said he was immediately forced to seek medical attention again at a nearby hospital in Northridge, a suburb in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles.
After undergoing “tons of tests,” he said, doctors informed the actor that he had pancreatitis.
“I was in the hospital for nine days,” he said. “I got released and I thought I was on the road to recovery, but it was just for observation.”
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, pancreatitis is characterized by the inflammation of the pancreas, a gland in the abdomen that plays an important role in digesting food and regulating blood sugar levels.
The condition can be acute, arising suddenly and lasting over a short amount of time. However, chronic cases of pancreatitis develop gradually, worsening over time, and can result in permanent damage to the pancreas.
The most common causes of pancreatitis are alcohol abuse and gallstones, which are small, hard masses that form in the gallbladder. Other causes may include injuries or surgery to the abdomen, certain medications, tumors, and infections, such as mumps or salmonella.
“My pancreas is inflamed, and there’s not much you can do about it but just wait for the inflammation to go down,” Sheridan said.
The actor, who also starred in the “That’s So Raven” spinoffs “Corey in the House” and “Raven’s Home,” added that he had set up a GoFundMe account to help with mounting medical bills.
“I didn’t realize I was going to be and will be out of work for quite some time,” Sheridan said in his video message. “If you have anything that you could donate, I would gladly appreciate it. Thank you so much.”
