On his Facebook page, Mike Kennedy posts this tribute by his cousin, Mackenzie Astin, about Mackenzie's mother, Patty Duke. The part about Anna "Patty Duke" Pearce's role as an advocate later in life is particularly poignant:

"A thing occurred to me yesterday afternoon that instantly brought saltwater down my face. Not in streaks of sadness, though, these were tears of wonder. I was broken by the beauty of the success in her later-life mission. By how plainly I could see the effects of what became her cause. The back half of mom’s career offered fewer opportunities to share her considerable acting talent, you see, because Hollywood and maturity very rarely share a mirror. And while this is less a tragedy than a reflection of our narcissism, the near-absence of roles for a woman over forty forced mom onto the road again. But instead of acting, she just spoke. She spoke of her struggles with mental illness. She spoke all over to audiences that could easily recognize in themselves the very same struggle. She crisscrossed this country promising people a way to beat back the demons so many of us share, to keep ourselves afloat, and to weather our communal storms." Full post here.