So this is really late, but Dana's birthday was about two weeks ago (Nov 9th) and nobody (including myself) remembered to mention it.

I really have always felt for this girl; I thought she was cute, talented and was dealt a bad hand of cards in life. Hollywood has proven not to be a good place for children to grow, and she's definitely no exception. Did she make some mistakes? yes, we all do. Unfortunately the result of those mistakes twisted into a downhill spiral. Really the only big mistake I can recall was her getting pregnant which led to her being fired from the show. The rest (drugs, crappy jobs) were a result of heartless exects.

So, in conclusion, I have always had a place in my heart for her and always have felt bad for her life. Happy Birthday Dana, you will never be forgotten :rip:

http://img113.imageshack.us/img113/2759/platolambert1st2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

You are very missed Dana.

Its been almost 10 years since she passed away. Wow.

Yeah nine years since she's left us...

I've been thinking about her a lot these days, watching old episodes of diff'rent strokes again. She was so cute and definitely looked like an angel. She deserved a lot better in her life, I'm so sad she could'nt get as much joy as she used to give to us in her shows.

It might sound weird, but she meant a lot to me, even if I didn't know her personnally.

I wish I could write her a letter before she passed away to tell her how much we loved her...

Dana seemed to be a fragile person emotionally. She had a hard time making it after Diff'rent Strokes ended, made some bad choices too. She needed a good person to come into her life and be a positive influence. But I think after a point she sank so low and got in too deep where there wasn't much anyone could do anymore. Dana Plato/Diff'rent Strokes and Anissa Jones from Family Affair. Two angels who tragically left us much too soon.

I do agree with that. She definitely deserved to be happy in her life but she went on the wrong paths and met the wrong persons.

It's been nine years now and I still think about her. God knows I would have loved to meet her just once...

There is so much love for Dana. It may be strange but Dana does means a lot to many now, I likewise never had the pleasure of meeting her. I have said prayers to her, she is now at peace, which she often didn't have
Sadly she never had a childhood which would have helped her deal with all that she had to cope with. She was clearly beautiful in and out. We all need strength, but Dana needed someone to guide her and love her.

Dana's life had two strikes against it from the start as she was raised by adoptive parents. I think she was the type of girl who liked to hang with the "bad boys" so it's probable she wouldn't have been interested in a good guy who would have been a good influence. So she ended up making some bad choices and things spiralled down towards a tragic end. It's sad, she is missed but a similar fate has happened to some who came before her and it will happen to some who come after.

Dana should not be remembered because of the tragic way her life ended, she should be remembered in a positive way as she was on Diff'rent Strokes. That's when Dana was happy, that's when she was smiling and entertained us, that is how she would want us to remember her.

I would agree with much you say. It is a testament to Dana that she is still thought of today. Her bright smile and loving heart has a lasting memory for us all.
The bad boys provide an excitement, like many things that are not good for us.
It is difficult to help many people, Paul Pieterson wrote a very intesting article, check it out if you get a moment.
Dana will always be remembered by us of a certain age and is in the hearts of so many.

She maybe was the type of girl who liked to hang with bad boys because tough guys always look the best to protect you when you feel fragile.

I'm actually really happy to find other persons who feel like me and think she did really deserve a lot better in her life. It's sometimes difficult to explain why you miss someone you never met.

Dana indeed did need protecting, she perhaps wasn't protected enough as a child, children need to be children. Hindsight is a clever thing. We perhaps had pleasure in watching Dana act, but at a huge cost to her.
I'm sure there is a logic to why one misses someone who you have not met. Perhaps we have a sense of guilt or divine inspiration?
There is a huge pooring of emotion for Dana and i'm sure she is smiling over us. Her family should be proud that she touches so many people hearts.