The Young and the Restless original cast member, Julianna McCarthy, 95, of Star Trek and Dark Shadows fame, needs your help

The Young and the Restless actress Julianna McCarthy played Liz Foster from the show's inception. She appeared on the program regularly into the 1980s, and recurred until 2010 when Liz passed away. The actress, however, is still very much with us, and now, she could use some assistance.

The Young and the Restless, Liz Foster

Jeanne Cooper as Katherine, and Julianna McCarthy as Liz had many scenes in the Chancellor mansion on The Young and the Restless | Image: JPI

McCarthy, whose real name is Julie Constantine, has a GoFundMe that's been organized by her son, Brendan: "My name is Brendan Constantine, and I'm hoping to raise money to help me care for my mother, Julie Constantine, whom many of you may know as actress and poet Julianna McCarthy.

"During her acting career, she starred as Liz Foster in The Young and the Restless, Mila in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and appeared in numerous TV shows and movies, including Six Feet Under, L.A. Story, The Distinguished Gentlemen, and The Frighteners."

McCarthy also played the dual roles of Mrs. Johnson and Abigail Collins on the 1990-91 reboot of Dark Shadows, which starred the late Ben Cross as Barnabas Collins and Joanna Going as Victoria Winters.

"At 95," Brendan continued about his mother, "she's still brilliant and engaged, but a series of severe infections along with a minor stroke have left her unable to use her hands or leave her bed.

"At the same time, her health is such that she's just been discharged from hospice, which means we've lost a huge pillar of support," Brendan adds. "In order for me to keep working and looking after her, I must employ professional caregivers who can handle day and evening shifts. We're ineligible for MediCal/Medicaid, and I'm burning through my savings. So, I'm reaching out to Mom's friends and fans for help.

"The money you contribute will go exclusively to paying for two professional caregivers (Amy and Myrna, Mom loves them) and buying medical supplies. That's it," Brendan adds.

Liz Foster, a Y&R matriarch

Snapper, Jill, Katherine, Greg, and Liz on The Young and the Restless | Image: JPI

McCarthy played hard-working Liz on Y&R in the show's early years, mother to Snapper (William Grey Espy; David Hasselhoff), Greg (the late James Houghton, later, the late Wings Hauser), and Jill (originally, Brenda Dickson; later, Deborah Adair; and now, Jess Walton).

In 2003, Jill learned from her mother that she'd been adopted, and, for a while, Jill was under the mistaken impression that Katherine Chancellor (Jeanne Cooper) was her birth mother after first believing that Charlotte Ramsey (Elizabeth Harrower) was her mom. In reality, Katherine's long-lost child was a boy, Tucker McCall (William Russ, Stephen Nichols, and Trevor St. John have all played him).

The show scripted Liz's passing in 2010 when Hasselhoff and Hauser reprised their roles as Snapper and Greg.