Rare Blood Disorder Won't Stop Robin Roberts From Hosting GMA

AP
Alexander Abad-Santos 1,552 Views Jun 11, 2012

Some sad news this morning: Good Morning America's Robin Roberts has announced that she'll need a bone marrow transplant because she's suffering from a rare blood disorder that is reportedly a complication from her breast cancer treatments five years ago. "Today, I want to let you know that I’ve been diagnosed with MDS or myelodysplastic syndrome, Roberts wrote on a blog post. "It's a disease of the blood and bone marrow and was once known as preleukemia."

According to the Mayo Clinic the early symptoms of the disease seems to be fatigue and anemia.  "There is no cure for myelodysplastic syndromes," reads the clinic's definition of the disease.  "Treatment for myelodysplastic syndromes usually focuses on reducing or preventing complications of the disease and its treatments. In certain cases, myelodysplastic syndromes are treated with a bone marrow transplant, which may help prolong life."

The good news is that Robers' sister is a good bone marrow match for her, and that she's beginning chemotherapy. She concludes

Bottom line: I’ve been living with this diagnosis for awhile and will continue to anchor GMA.  I love what I do and the people with whom I do it.  Along with my faith, family and friends, all of you at ABC News give me the motivation and energy to face this challenge.

Going forward, it’s business as usual at GMA, which means I’ll be right here every day with George, Sam, Josh and Lara.  When I miss a day here or there, I’m fortunate that some very talented friends at ABC News will fill-in.  When I undergo the transplant later this year, I’ll miss a chunk of time.

When I faced breast cancer, your prayers and good wishes sustained me, gave me such hope and played a major role in my recovery.  In facing this new challenge, I ask humbly for more of your prayers and love – as I will keep you in my mine and update you regularly on my condition.

Want to add to this story? Let us know in comments or send an email to the author at aabadsantos at theatlantic dot com. You can share ideas for stories on the Open Wire.

Related Articles   More by Alexander Abad-Santos

Robin Roberts: 'I Feel the Love and I Thank You for It'

Murdoch's Vows to Build a Pay Wall

Typo of the Year: Obama vs. Osama

 

The End of the Rescue Is Just the Start of a Long Road in Moore, Oklahoma

Backpacks, Human Shields, Above and Beyond: The Oklahoma Teacher Heroes

Elsewhere on the Web

User Comments

Please type your comment and click Post. If you’re not already logged in you will be prompted to log in or register

  • The Atlantic Wire on Twitter
  • The Atlantic Wire RSS Feed
  • The Atlantic Wire iPhone App