Updated October 29th, 2020

“Happy Days” Reunion Will Be Missing One Beloved Cast Member: Erin Moran Passed From Cancer 3 Years Ago at 56

Erin Moran died at 56 from possible cancer complications; towards the end of her life, the actress had health troubles. She will be missed from the upcoming "Happy Days" reunion on October 25.

Anne McCarthy

Details

Fighting Cancer

Erin Moran, who played Joanie Cunningham on the hit TV show Happy Days, died of cancer at 56.
Alcohol has been shown to increase the risk of certain cancers.
Getting a cancer diagnosis can sometimes lead to bouts of depression.

Richie Cunningham’s sister, Joanie, will be missing from the Happy Days reunion that’s happening via Zoom on October 25. Erin Moran, who played his baby sister, passed away from what was reported as complications from cancer three years ago, at just 56. Although her cancer was not confirmed, the report at the time of her death in 2017 concluded she passed likely due to stage four cancer.

While on air, Happy Days was a massive success. The sitcom first aired in 1974, went on for 11 seasons, and had multiple spin-off shows. It was the springboard for the careers of Ron Howard and Henry Winkler.

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Cancer & Your Mental Health

In the years before her death, Moran reportedly dealt with depression, according to People magazine. In her home state of Indiana, it was reported that she also struggled with alcohol. Moran and her husband, Steve Fleischmann, lived at a motel, and later a trailer, in rural Indiana.

Cancer treatment is expensive, and it’s possible that if Moran was battling cancer, this could’ve exacerbated any existing mental health issues, like depression. And while we don’t know if her depression started before or after she got her diagnosis, it’s important to remember that getting a diagnosis like this is often hard to deal with.

Treating Depression After a Cancer Diagnosis

Alcohol and Cancer

While we don’t know the type of cancer Moran was potentially dealing with, there is research that points to a link between alcohol and some cancer, particularly breast cancer and colon cancer.

Alcohol Can Increase the Risk of Developing Breast Cancer

Dr. Elizabeth Comen, an oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, tells SurvivorNet that “One of the things that we know, and the American Society of Clinical Oncology has recently come out with a statement to this effect, is that actually, alcohol does increase the risk of breast cancer. It doesn’t dramatically increase the risk of breast cancer, but with every drink, there is a linear response.”

There can also be increased concerns for colon cancer patients who are heavy drinkers.

Alcohol Intake Has a Big Impact on Colon Cancer Surgery

Dr. Kyle Cologne, a colorectal surgeon at the University of Southern California, tells SurvivorNet, “When…doing surgery for colorectal cancer in someone who is a heavy drinker, this puts you at a much higher risk for things like bleeding and problems healing after surgery. So it’s important to be honest with your surgeon about if you drink, how much you drink.”

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