Robert, Melanie’s brother, confirmed that she had been admitted to hospital in the days before Christmas before her health deteriorated quickly.
Tributes have been paid to actress Melanie Watson who has died at the age of 57. Melanie was best known for playing Kathy on the 1980s TV show Diff’rent Strokes.
Robert, Melanie’s brother, confirmed that she had been admitted to hospital in the days before Christmas before her health deteriorated quickly. She died on Friday, Boxing Day, in Colorado Springs, reports the Mirror.
Child star Melanie was admitted for treatment to bleeding, according to Robert, but doctors were unable to do any more.
Fans of Diff’rent Strokes will remember her iconic line to Arnold, who had been moping about his height. When he said that he had forgot she was handicapped, she quipped back: “I’m not handicapped, I’m handicapable!”
Away from fame, Melanie retired from acting following the end of Diff’rent Strokes and went on to marry Roger Bernhardt. She was also a co-founder of the charity Train Rite, which trains service animals.
Melanie was born with a health condition called osteogenesis imperfecta, a genetic disorder known as brittle bone disease. The condition affects collagen, which is the protein responsible for bone structure, meaning that the bones are weak and can easily fracture.
Fans rushed to social media to pay tribute to Melanie, with one writing: “This is crazy. I just saw something about her last week. RIP!” A second added: “She brought so much joy to me in my childhood, a wonderful spirit! God bless her.”
“Aw that sucks, i just thought about her recently,” a third said, with a fourth adding: “Omg I liked her remember her bsck in the day. So sad r.i.p.” A fifth wrote: “This is so sad, she was such a part of my childhood.”
During the 1982 series of the show, Kathy and Arnold clashed over his attempt to try and get her to walk without crutches. It was a special episode, which sparked national conversation.
