Yahoo Finance Robin Roberts on Getting Second 'Chance' at Life After Health Scare: 'I Had a Year or Two to Live'
Robin Roberts underwent a life-saving procedure in 2012. Now, she lives to tell the tale.
The Good Morning America anchor, 60, was previously diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome and needed a bone marrow transplant surgery to survive. Roberts' sister, Sally-Ann, eventually became her donor.
During an upcoming appearance on Rachael Ray Wednesday, Roberts opens up about how she felt upon learning that Sally-Ann was a match.
"My doctor told me I had a year or two to live if I didn't have a successful transplant," she recalls to Rachael Ray. "My other siblings were not a match. My doctors had already told me there was not anybody on the list that matched me. It came down to my sister Sally-Ann."
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Roberts continues, "When they came back — and they had to do repeated tests to get to the certain level — and they said, 'Yes, she's a match.' And I cannot tell you, you just exhale, and you're like, 'I got a chance.' "
Roberts gets choked up as she remembers seeing whether her sister would be willing to be her donor.
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"I remember calling my sister because then I had to say to her, 'You are a match. Do you want to go through with this,' " she recalls. "Because sometimes, people will put themselves on the list and say they want to be a donor, and then it gets to that point and they have second thoughts."
"And my sister said, 'Not only is this something I want to do, I feel I was born to be [your donor],' " she adds.
Roberts celebrated the ninth anniversary of her life-saving procedure on Instagram Monday, sharing a photo of herself holding up nine fingers as her dog sat in her lap.
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"Quiet dinner at home w/ [my] sweet [girlfriend] Amber [Laign] & @lil_man_lukas to mark 9 years since my bone marrow transplant," she captioned the post.
"Everybody's got something," she continued. "And I'm hopeful to be a reminder that this too shall pass. 🙏🏾❤️#lightlovepowerpresence."
Roberts' interview on Rachael Ray airs Wednesday. To tune in, check your local listings.
