Monday's General Hospital came with a very touching moment that honored the late Donna Messina, a beloved makeup artist at the ABC soap opera who passed away last year after a battle with cancer. As viewers of the episode saw, Port Charles supercouple Sonny (Maurice Benard) and Carly (Laura Wright) named their brand-new baby after the late GH crew member.
During the episode, Carly underwent a C-section with Sonny by her side, and the pair was overjoyed to bring a little girl into the world. However, because the infant had spina bifida, doctors had to whisk the tiny newborn away to perform surgery. Before she was taken away, however, Sonny and Carly revealed that her name was Donna.
While the baby was in surgery, Sonny revealed to Michael (Chad Duell), Josslyn (Eden McCoy), and Kristina (Lexi Ainsworth) that they had a new baby sister. The exciting announcement led to a touching monologue from the proud new dad who explained that the name Donna Messina was in honor of an old neighbor he had with whom he'd formed a trusted friendship.
"She was kind and loyal and she knew how to keep a secret -- you could talk to her about anything and your problems, who you love, your fears -- she would just listen, and she wouldn't judge, and she wouldn't tell a soul," Sonny explained to his kids. "She was tough as nails, and she had no patience for fools. And if you were annoying, she would get in your face. She hated bullies, no matter young or old, it didn't matter. And she was fearless. But most of all, she was kind, loyal, and generous. One of the greatest things about her was that she could always make you smile, no matter how you were feeling. That was just the way she was."
Messina was an integral part of the GH family from1983 until 2018, when she lost her battle to cancer. In addition to naming Sonny and Carly's baby Donna, GH executive producer Frank Valentini unveiled a new bench sitting just outside the ABC soap's set with a plaque dedicated to Messina's memory. The location of the bench is where the makeup artist would go to enjoy fresh air and sunshine during her breaks.
How do you feel about the special way GH has honored Donna Messina? What are your thoughts on the storyline surrounding the birth of little Donna Corinthos? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.
