GMA’s Robin Roberts’ Interview with Sister Sally-Ann on MDS-Bone Marrow Treatment

Nov 21, 2012

Robin Roberts of ABC’s Good Morning America interviews President Barack Obama on May 9, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

In May 2012 "Good Morning America" host Robin Roberts got the interview of her life when President Obama announced his support for gay marriage in front of her.

But just a month later Roberts would have her own major announcement: Her cancer was back.

And it was every cancer survivors’ worse nightmare. The treatment that helped her beat breast cancer years before had now led her to a more serious health problem. 

"Sometimes treatment for cancer can lead to other serious medical issues and that’s what I’m facing right now," she told viewers. "The reason I am sharing this with everybody right now is because later today I begin what’s known as pre-treatment."

Roberts was referring to treatment for a bone marrow transplant to treat her blood related cancer. She’s been off the air since June.

In a new interview that aired Monday on New Orleans’ WWL-TV Roberts tells her sister and donor, Sally-Ann, about her setback following recovery from the bone marrow transplant.

Robin described the hospital stay as "just a little tune-up, check under the hood, kick the tires a little bit. And uh, it’s not a journey that goes like this, it’s a journey that zig-zags and there are complications and things like that. But I feel good, I feel stronger every day, I’m past the halfway mark for the hundred days, which is the most critical portion of the time, so I am blessed."

Bone marrow transplants are often the only treatment for blood-related cancers.

But African-Americans are least likely to find at least one potential match compared to other race groups, according to Black Bone Marrow group. Blacks only have an estimated 66% likelihood of having a donor on the national registry who is willing and able to donate. For whites its 93%

Visit Marrow.org to find out more about bone marrow donation and sign up for a registration kit.