Melanie Watson once spoke about her difficulty with a wheelchair and crutches on the sets of 'Diff'rent Strokes'.
Former child actress, Melanie Watson, who became popular with the U.S. sitcom, Diff'rent Strokes, passed away at the age of 57 after her lifelong battle with brittle bone syndrome. Melanie suffered from osteogenesis imperfecta, a rare genetic disorder that causes bones to break very easily, and battled health problems throughout her life.
Melanie faced many challenges while filming Diff’rent Strokes. She once spoke about the accessibility challenges she faced while filming the long-running NBC sitcom as a disabled child actress in the 1980s. In the same interaction, Melanie also stated that she used a manual wheelchair, which often got tripped up on the ground cords. Speaking to IndieWire, Melanie revealed:
“Back in those days, I didn’t have a wheelchair. So I was carried everywhere."
Melanie Watson revealed she was required to do things she did not want to do on set, including using crutches in one episode. Melanie’s character was introduced in the third season of the show, and she had standout performances in the 1982 episode 'Kathy' and the 1984 episode 'Kathy’s Olympics.'
In one episode, her character, 'Kathy', was required to appear on crutches to inspire Arthur. But Melanie felt uneasy using crutches, as a few years before filming the series, Melanie had a bad fall, which left her scared to walk. It was Melanie’s mother who encouraged her to take up the role, and she shot the scene with crutches.
According to TMZ, Melanie Watson's brother, Robert, revealed that she was hospitalised for some time due to certain health complications related to internal bleeding. Although doctors made every possible effort to stabilise her condition, her health continued to decline, eventually leading to her death. Speaking about the same, Robert said:
“My sister was hospitalized before she died for internal bleeding symptoms, and the medical staff did their best until the end, but her condition deteriorated rapidly.”
After having a successful acting career, Melanie Watson continued a life dedicated to people with disabilities and other vulnerable members of society. Melanie worked towards disability advocacy and founded Train Rite, an organisation that trains shelter dogs to assist people with disabilities. Melanie dedicated her life to people with disability and expanded her life through disability awareness and social contributions.
Melanie Watson was a fighter who embraced her disability and never gave up.
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