Rosie O'Donnell roundup: 'Dr. Oz,' Nyack parade and a charity auction

Thursday October 25, 2012 11:00 AM By Kirthana Ramisetti

Photo credit: AP | Rosie O'Donnell attends the National Board of Review awards gala at Cipriani in Manhattan. (Jan. 10, 2012)

Rosie O'Donnell is making a lot of news this week.

The 50-year-old Nyack comedian appeared on "The Dr. Oz Show" Thursday to discuss her near-fatal heart attack in August. She talked about symptoms of the attack and how her intuition and online research led her to seek the medical treatment that helped save her life.

Outside of the heart attack, O'Donnell and her wife, Michelle Rounds, experienced another major health scare this year when Rounds was diagnosed with desmoid tumors in May. The couple met with other families who have been affected by desmoid tumors last weekend and listened to doctors speak about their research on the disease. On her blog, O’Donnell called the meeting “informative and emotional.”

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Despite the recent health issues, odds are good that O'Donnell will act as a celebrity judge at Nyack's 25th annual Halloween Parade on Saturday, a position she's held yearly since 2008.

Last year, O’Donnell posted a photo on Twitter showing her at the parade with her son Blake. Carlo Pellegrini, the parade’s director, said he is unsure but hopeful she will attend, and that he would likely not know until the day of the event.

If you can't catch O'Donnell on "Dr. Oz" or make the parade, an online auction offers fans the opportunity to bid for a dinner with the local star. O'Donnell is auctioning a “bite to eat” with herself and Tony winner Audra McDonald, a longtime Croton-on-Hudson resident, with proceeds from the auction, which ends Oct. 30, going to her Rosie's Theater Kids nonprofit. At presstime, the top bid is $1,500.

Tags: Nyack , Rosie O'Donnell , TV , Halloween , celebrities , events