The 51-year-old broadcast veteran announced today that she will be starting treatment to prep her for a bone marrow transplant, which will be given by her sister. The transplant is needed because she is now suffering from a rare form of blood disorder called MDS (Myelodyplastic syndrome), which, according to Roberts, was brought upon from the chemotheraphy she endured while battling breast cancer. That her sister was a perfect match, is a blessing. But for many in the African American community, finding a match is hard pressed. Primarily because not enough within the community are registered.
"Bottom line: I am going to beat this. My doctors say it and my faith says it to me," she told viewers this morning. Ironically, this health news came at a career-high for Roberts. In a letter to her colleagues, Roberts revealed that she found out the her prognosis on the same day "GMA" beat the "Today Show" in ratings for the first time in 16 years in April. And that during the first bone marrow extraction procedure, she learned she would be interviewing President Obama. It was in that interview that he came out in support of Gay marriage. The interview was a coup and, again, put her in history books for Broadcast journalism.
Ben Sherwood, the network's president, said they would stand "arm in arm with her as she fights this new battle" and called her the "captain of our ‘GMA’ team." Indeed.
If you are interested in becoming a donor, visit: marrow.org.
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