Robin Roberts announced on Good Morning America that she has been diagnosed with a rare blood and bone marrow disorder called MDS, and will undergo a bone marrow transplant. Sadly, this news happens five years after she battled breast cancer.
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Speaking on “Good Morning America” and writing on her blog post, Roberts said the disease was once called preleukemia, and is a complication from the treatment she received to beat breast cancer in 2007.
On the “GMA” website, Roberts wrote that, while there are some “scary” statistics about the disease, her doctors have told her she is young and fit enough to beat it.
READ: MDS: A Rare Disease Of The Blood
Roberts made the announcement toward the end of Monday’s “GMA,” surrounded by her co-hosts and with former co-host Diane Sawyer (whom she called “my Thelma”) in attendance.
“Sometimes treatment for cancer can lead to other serious medical issues and that’s what I’m facing right now,” she said. “The reason I am sharing this with everybody right now is because later today I begin what’s known as pre-treatment.”
Roberts said that a tube was being added to her arm Monday afternoon. “I didn’t want you to be concerned if you saw a bandage tomorrow,” she said. “It’s going to be there to draw blood … and also to administer drugs.”
Robin Roberts Diagnosed With Rare Blood Disorder was originally published on blackdoctor.org
