Robin Roberts took to the air on the latest iteration of Good Morning America to look back on an emotional milestone — her return to the show after a stem cell transplant.
Back in 2012, Robin, 64, was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome, or MDS, a rare blood disorder that affects the bone marrow.
The anchor was off the show for 174 days, as she precisely recalled, and after receiving a life-saving bone marrow transplant from her sister Sally-Ann Roberts, she was back on the show on February 20, 2013.
Since then, she has become a vocal advocate for those looking for bone marrow donors and encouraging others to donate and volunteer as well, with GMA becoming a participant in that journey through their support of the organization NMDP, formerly Be the Match.
“Exactly 12 years ago, Robin returned to GMA after a stem cell transplant,” her co-anchor George Stephanopoulos shared at the top of the segment on the latest live show.
What followed was a segment that featured archival footage of Robin’s first GMA taping after surgery, plus spotlights on those who’d volunteered to be donors with NMDP, even including her nephew Jeremiah Craft (who was in the studio) plus students and staff at her alma mater Southeastern Louisiana University.
After the segment, conversation turned to many of the donors who formed the special audience in the studio, Robin, George, Michael Strahan, Lara Spencer and Sam Champion, all of whom showed their support for Robin and many of the others affected by the disease.
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“We have the luxury of sitting here together as a family looking back because of that procedure,” Sam remarked. “When we think about going through our lives every day, we don’t even think about it. Robin, I don’t know if you even think about it every day. But looking back at it, it seems like yesterday.”
© Getty ImagesRobin pointed that out that she couldn’t even bring herself to look at a lot of the old footage because it’s “still very hard,” adding: “I’m very grateful, don’t get me wrong, but it’s difficult…I love being a walking, breathing symbol for folks that this too shall pass.”
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Per NMDP, Sam reported that since Robin began sharing more information about bone marrow diseases and encouraging viewers to register as donors 12 years ago, 155 people have donated, more than 37,000 people have joined the registry, and they’ve received more than $2 million in financial gifts.
© InstagramThe tribute also included a conversation with Jeremiah and Katrice Randolph, who recalled seeing the NMDP table while she was in college and signed up as a donor, with her call to action coming nine years later when a preteen girl named Kelsey, the same age as Katrice’s sister, needed a donor due to sickle cell disease.
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© Instagram“Nine years later, I got a call about a little girl named Kelsey — I love her so much and she [is] the same age as my sister — and it was literally like, I have to do this because if this was my sister, I would want somebody to do this for me so it was an easy yes,” Katrice shared before being surprised by Kelsey and her mother by the show, late going on stage to embrace Robin.
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