Little House on the Prairie actress Melissa Gilbert drops run for Congress in Michigan due to ongoing health problems caused by two slipped discs in her spine

  • Former child star Melissa Gilbert has dropped Congress run in Michigan
  • The 52-year-old found fame on the Little House on the Prairie TV show
  • She says her doctors advised her to drop out as she needed spinal surgery
  • Two slipped discs have caused numbness in her arm and neck, she said

By Corey Charlton for MailOnline

Published: 20:27 EST, 24 May 2016 | Updated: 07:32 EST, 25 May 2016

Former 'Little House on the Prairie' star Melissa Gilbert is dropping her run for Congress in Michigan, citing 'health problems' related to accidents in 2012.

The 52-year-old said she is following the advice of doctors after suffering a swathe of problems from two slipped discs which have 'only gotten worse'.

Gilbert, who found fame as Laura Ingalls in the 1970s and 80s TV show, was the only Democrat challenging Republican Mike Bishop in the 8th District.

Melissa Gilbert, shown with her dog Josephine - which has its own stylist and wears a Louis Vuitton collar - has dropped out of the race for a seat in Congress

Melissa Gilbert, shown with her dog Josephine - which has its own stylist and wears a Louis Vuitton collar - has dropped out of the race for a seat in Congress

Gilbert played Laura Ingalls WIlder during the 1970s and 1980s on 'Little House on the Prairie' and later became president of the Screen Actors Guild

Gilbert played Laura Ingalls WIlder during the 1970s and 1980s on 'Little House on the Prairie' and later became president of the Screen Actors Guild

Although the filing deadline has now expired, the Michigan Democratic Party says county parties in the 8th District can put another candidate on the ballot. 

Gilbert told People: 'My doctors said there's no way for me to continue to deal with the incredibly rigorous demands of a congressional campaign without continuing to do harm to my body.'

She said has two herniated discs in her spine from separate accidents in 2012. The first occurred when she suffered whiplash and concussion during a fall on Dancing with the Stars. Months later, her rental home balcony collapsed on her head.

'I was standing under the back balcony talking to my kids and it detached from the house and it collapsed on my head.

Gilbert and her third husband, West Wing actor Timothy Busfield, recently moved to a log cabin in rural Michigan as tax debts piled up

Gilbert and her third husband, West Wing actor Timothy Busfield, recently moved to a log cabin in rural Michigan as tax debts piled up

'I ended up with a concussion and stitches in my head and it compressed two healthy discs in my neck.'

Explaining she suffered from numbness in her right hand and neck and shooting pains in her neck, she is now scheduled to undergo more spinal surgery.

Gilbert's run for the seat was part of a wider trend of entertainers bidding to become federal lawmakers.

Fred Grandy of 'The Love Boat' fame was a four-term congressman from Iowa.

'Sonny and Cher' star Sonny Bono served three years in the House during the 1990s and died during his second term in office.

Ben Jones, 'Cooter' on 'The Dukes of Hazzard,' was a two-term congressman from 1989 to 1993.

And onetime Saturday Night Live funnyman Al Franken is now a U.S. senator from Minnesota.

Gilbert's quest to join them, however, was hampered by a much-publicized $360,000 tax debt she owed to the federal government she aimed to join.

'Like so many people across the nation, the recession hit me hard,' Gilbert told The Detroit News when her tax troubles become public.

'That, plus a divorce and a dearth of acting opportunities the last few years, created a perfect storm of financial difficulty for me.'

She later issued a statement on her website saying she was running 'to make life a little easier for all the families who feel they have fallen through the cracks in today's economy'.

'I believe building a new economy is a team effort, and we need to bring fresh voices to the table to get the job done.'

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