Corey Haim Spent Final Months Caring For Mom With Cancer

By Mike Fleeman

Thursday March 11, 2010


When Corey Haim recently called Jensen LeFlore, his director on the movie Decisions, his mood was markedly different from the upbeat, Frisbee-playing actor on the set of a just a few weeks earlier.

Haim explained that he had just spoken to his 61-year-old mother Judy, who was battling breast cancer. She was not doing well.

"That was the only time I really heard him down," the director tells PEOPLE. "His mom was all Corey had ... He was focused on taking care of his mom. They were living together. He wanted to take care of her."

In the end, it was his mother who called 911 on Wednesday from her Los Angeles area apartment to report Corey had collapsed and wasn't responsive. The actor was later declared dead at the hospital, possibly a victim of an overdose, according to the LAPD.

Living with His Mother

The 38-year-old Haim was staying in Judy's hillside apartment complex in between a spate of acting jobs, as his career – long derailed by drug addiction and erratic behavior – was showing signs of rebounding. But even when he was working, he was always close to his mother, who is divorced from his father; he would call her frequently, and she'd visit him on the set.

"They spent a lot of time together," says actress Angela Cullins, who costarred with Haim in the thriller American Sunset, shot last spring in Canada. "She was battling breast cancer. It was very stressful for him ... It was exhausting, but he took care of her when she needed him."

Haim's agent Mark Heaslip says the actor "has been there for her all the way" as his mother underwent chemotherapy and radiation and lost her hair. "Corey had been attending every doctor’s appointment with his mom. It was amazing how well he supported her," says Heaslip.

During his stay with his mother, Haim came down with flu-like symptoms, including a 101-degree fever. A doctor checked him Tuesday and ordered bed rest.

"He stayed in bed all day through the evening," says Heaslip. "And then in the middle of the night he woke up his mom and said, ‘Mom, can you please come and lie next to me, I’m not feeling very good.’ "

Mother Called 911

Judy got into the bed with her son, then woke up to find him with labored breathing. She told him to lie on his side, and they both fell asleep again. At midnight, she heard her son walking around.

"And then he just collapsed. He just fell over," says Heaslip. "She called for an ambulance."

Now, with her own health uncertain, Judy Haim has lost the closest person in her life. "She is taking this very, very hard," the agent says. "This is all shocking."

Todd Bridges Hopes Corey Haim Is At Peace

Wednesday March 10, 2010

In 2008, Todd Bridges appeared on an episode of the A&E reality show The Two Coreys in an attempt to help Corey Haim get sober. Now, hours after his friend died at age 38, the Diff'rent Strokes star is adding his voice to the number of celebrities paying tribute.

"Corey Haim was a good friend of mine and he will be missed," Bridges says in a statement. "Too many people are dying way too young and it's sad because of the loved ones who are left behind to understand what happened and to feel the loss. I hope he's in a better place."

Bridges also says he hopes that Haim's passing will help people who are struggling with sobriety to look closely at their lives.

"I will always love my Brother, and I will never judge him," his statement continues. "I understand his pain, but I also know now there is a way out. I hope anyone who is dealing with the same stuff gets out before it's too late. Don't let the death of others fool you into thinking that it cannot happen to you. If you play with fire, you will get burned.

Corey Feldman Grieving Tragic Death Of 'Brother' Corey Haim

Wednesday March 10, 2010

In a statement released Wednesday after Corey Haim's untimely death at age 38, longtime friend and frequent costar Corey Feldman expressed grief at the loss of his "best friend."

"I was awakened at 8:30 this morning by my brother and sister knocking on my bedroom door. They informed me of the loss of my brother Corey Haim. My eyes weren't even open all the way when the tears started streaming down my face. I am so sorry for Corey, his mother Judy, his family, my family, all of our fans, and of course my son who I will have to find a way to explain this to when he gets home from school. This is a tragic loss of a wonderful, beautiful, tormented soul, who will always be my brother, family, and best friend. We must all take this as a lesson in how we treat the people we share this world with while they are still here to make a difference. Please respect our families as we struggle and grieve through this difficult time. I hope the art Corey has left behind will be remembered as the passion of that for which he truly lived.

Corey Feldman
"The Two Coreys"

Corey Haim's Final Moments: Dizzy, Stumbling With Flu Symptoms

By Ken Lee

Wednesday March 10, 2010
Corey Haim had been suffering from flu-like symptoms for several days before finally stumbling in front of his mother at her Los Angeles apartment early Wednesday morning, a coroner spokesman confirms.

"Some time after midnight, he got up, he was dizzy and unsteady on his feet and knelt down," L.A. County Coroner Assistant Chief Ed Winter tells PEOPLE. "His mom helped him to a bed and he became unresponsive in about a minute or so. She dialed 911 and he was pronounced dead at a local hospital at 2:15 a.m."

The death of the former '80s heartthrob at age 38 has been ruled inconclusive pending an autopsy and toxicology test. But Winter says, "LAPD believes it was a possible drug overdose."

Haim had been living with his mother as she battled cancer, Judy Haim tells RadarOnline. "I am a cancer victim and Corey was helping me at home,” she said. "He was a good boy. I'm devastated by his death."

A neighbor, Eric Jay, tells PEOPLE that Haim had been caring for his mother and was a regular fixture around the apartment complex. "It was a real shame. His mom was sick and he was taking care of her."

Jay adds that Haim seemed to be on an upswing in life. "I saw him a few days ago with [his] mom by the pool," he says. "He was humble but inspirational to the actors around here. He was getting himself together."

Winter confirms that four prescription medication bottles were found in the home in Corey Haim's name. Winter wouldn't verify what drugs they were, though he says no illegal drugs were found.

Haim's mother told investigators that her son "had problems with prescription meds and that he had been in rehab on and off over the years," Winter says.

Corey Haim, 38, Found Dead

By Stephen M. Silverman

Update Wednesday March 10, 2010 08:45 AM EST

Originally posted Wednesday March 10, 2010 08:30 AM EST

Corey Haim is dead, Los Angeles Police confirmed to TV station KTLA. He was 38.

Police say it is believed the actor, who had a long history of substance-abuse problems, perished from an accidental overdose at 3:30 a.m. Wednesday.

Haim reportedly was found unresponsive at his Southern California apartment. His mother was said to be with him at the time.

He was pronounced dead Providence St. Joseph's Medical Center in Burbank.

Haim shot to fame in the '80s after starring in several teen films, including The Lost Boys, Lucas and License to Drive. Most notably, he collaborated numerous times with Corey Feldman, and the pair were dubbed "The Two Coreys." They starred in an A&E reality show with that name from 2007 to 2008.

But Haim struggled with drug addiction for several years. At one point, Feldman told his friend he would no longer speak to him until he got sober.