
Robin Roberts has been diagnosed with a rare blood disorder.
At a certain point, you have to feel bad for Robin Roberts. The television anchorwoman who rose to national prominence with ESPN before making the leap to corporate sibling ABC to take on the role of Good Morning America anchor just cannot seem to get and stay healthy for very long. Five years ago, it was breast cancer. Yesterday, it was myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), which is a rare blood disorder caused by malfunctioning bone marrow. Robin Roberts will be undergoing a bone marrow transplant and chemotherapy to treat her MDS.
According to doctors, Roberts’ prognosis is good. She’s younger and fitter than most MDS patients, who are typically over 60 years old. Other risk factors for MDS include being a white male, having a past history of chemotherapy (which can cause the disease), exposure to certain toxic chemicals like cigarette smoke and pesticide, and exposure to heavy metals like mercury or lead. Roberts says she caught MDS from her breast cancer chemotherapy. Robin Roberts’ sister will be her bone marrow donor. Bone marrow can cure almost anything.
According to Roberts, she will work through her treatment. She said, “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.”
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