Diff’rent Strokes Actress Has Dies at 57: Melanie Watson Bernhardt
Melanie Watson Bernhardt died on Dec. 26 in Colorado Springs, Colorado, her brother, Rob Watson told TMZ. She was in the hospital recently for bleeding.
Watson Bernhardt was born with osteogenesis imperfect, which also is known as brittle bone disease. According to Hopkins Medicine, the genetic disorder causes people to have soft bones that break easily.
During her career, the actor had a frequent guest-starring role on “Diff’rent Strokes,” on which she played a wheelchair-using friend of the lead character, Arnold, played by Gary Coleman, in four of the show’s 189 episodes, USA TODAY reported.
When the show ended, Watson Bernhardt retired and helped found the charity Train Rite to train dogs to work as service animals.
Melanie Lynn Watson was born on July 20, 1968, to Jack Watson and Marilyn Kay Watson. The youngest of four children, she was remembered by her family for her independence and fearless spirit. Her father once recalled an incident in which she took his car with a friend to attend a party, calling her “an inspiration.”
