BCN EXCLUSIVE: Happy Days' "Joanie," Erin Moran, Knew the Lord and Died Holding Her Husband's Hand, Here's more...

Aimee Herd : Apr 26, 2017
Breaking Christian News

"She was there watching TV in bed. I laid down next to her, held her right hand in my left. I fell asleep [and] woke up about a hour later still holding her hand, and she was gone, she was just gone…" -Steve Fleischmann, Erin Moran's husband.

The family TV sitcom "Happy Days" was a favorite in American households from the mid 70's to the mid 80's, and the beloved character of Joanie Cunningham, played by Erin Moran, was an important part of the mix. (Photo: ABC/Photofest/via Biography.com)

Last weekend, fans were shocked to learn of the seemingly sudden death of Moran at a young 56-years of age.

With the subsequent speculation and rumors that proliferated the internet—focusing on some troubled times the child-actress had gone through in her past—and the unrelenting media barraging Moran's husband Steve Fleischmann for a scoop, Steve was prompted to post an open letter clarifying his wife's final moments. (Photo: Erin Moran and husband Steve/Enos Solomon/FilmMagic/via ET Canada)

Fleischmann described the surprise diagnosis of the aggressive throat cancer that finally claimed Moran's life, and how she died holding her husband's hand—amazingly, on the 25th anniversary of the day they'd met.

(Steve Fleischmann's full post can be read below)

One important fact to note: Erin Moran's limo driver, Barton T. Wade, has shared with Breaking Christian News that years ago, Moran told him about how her friend and fellow actress, Lisa Welchel had led her to the Lord, and that she had accepted Christ. (Photo: Lisa Welchel and Erin Moran star in TV movie "Twirl"/via Pinterest)

May this bring a measure of peace to the hearts of her family and those who have loved this charismatic life and much-loved TV star.

Stephen Fleischmann's (unedited) post regarding his wife, Erin Moran follows:

This might be long but keep reading if
you want to know about Erin. Ok here
we go. Erin and I met 4/22/1992 and parted
ways 4/22/2017. we were planning to go to
thunder over Louisville to celebrate.
She was feeling fine on our annaversary
11-23-2016. Maybe four or five days after we
got back Erin woke up and had about a dime
size blood stain on her pillowcase. She said
I think i bit my tongue. a couple days go by and
theres a bigger spot of blood.We get
like 4 days into December. theres more blood, I
get a flashlight and say let me look.
It was not her tongue it was her tonsil on
the left side. I thought it was tonsillitis.
so we went to an ENT who said they wanted to
biopsy it.It came back squamous cell carcinoma.
She started radiation and chemo. Five days a
week radiation and chemo only on Thursdays. We did
that the whole time. It got so bad so fast. By the
middle of Febuary Erin could no longer Speak
or eat or drink. She had a feeding tube implant
and i feed her 6 to 8 times a day. She was still
happy,she was active, she text people on her
phone all day. On the 21st she was having trouble
breathing. She woke up on the 22ed, she was not 100%
She needed kleenex so i went to the store came
back. She was there watching T.V in bed I
laid down next to her held her right hand in my
left. I feel asleep woke up about a hour later
still holding her hand and she was gone, she was
just gone.. Norton Caner Institute never said
how bad it was.. The coroner told me it was really
really bad. it had spread to her spleen, she had
alot of fluid in her lungs and part of her brain was
infected. The coroner said even if she was in
the hospital being pumped full of antibiotics she
still would not of made it. He said it was the best
that she was with me and went in her sleep.
So thats it.