Entertainer Falana ill

Friday, March 29, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

Entertainer Lola Falana has been hospitalized in Las Vegas, and the public is being asked for help with her medical bills.

Falana, 53, is suffering from a disorder of the central nervous system that has resulted in difficulty with swallowing, breathing, speech and balance.

The Philadelphia resident was visiting her friends, Drs. Theodore and Parvin Modaber Jacobs of Las Vegas, when she had to be hospitalized Sunday.

Falana does not have any financial support for her medical care. Those who want to help her can make a donation at a local Bank of America branch. The account number is 974028629.

Falana performed regularly on the Strip in the 1970s and early 1980s. She was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1987, and ended her performing career.

Falana was discovered by the late Sammy Davis Jr. in the chorus of a Broadway show. It was Davis who produced a show for George Hamilton, with Falana in the cast, at the International Hotel, now the Las Vegas Hilton.

She was an immediate hit and quickly rose to headliner status here, working at the Aladdin, the Frontier, Sands and a number of other Strip hotels until she was stricken with multiple sclerosis.

Davis continued as a friend and supporter until his death.