Mental Health
Robin Roberts Taking Medical Leave from Good Morning America
Good Morning America" anchor Robin Roberts took an early leave of absence on Tuesday after she fell ill during the broadcast.
"Well a full disclosure here, I'm not feeling too well," Roberts said at 8:08 a.m., according to the New York Daily News. "In fact, I'm going to leave, and let you all do the rest of the program on your own. I'm going to take a little time off, just to get some vacay. I'll see you in a couple of weeks."
ABC said Roberts would be taking a few weeks of previously scheduled time off, but it came earlier than her planned medical leave for a bone marrow transplant. Roberts told reporters last week that her medical leave would probably start at the end of August or early September.
Roberts announced in June that she has myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), five years after being treated for breast cancer. Roberts will receive a transplant later this year from her sister and has taken steps to help others who need treatment. Roberts' sister is a perfect match and that occurrence is rare, happening about 30 percent of the time.
"Bone marrow donors are scarce and particularly for African-American women Roberts wrote in a blog post. "I am very fortunate to have a sister who is an excellent match, and this greatly improves my chances for a cure."
According to the National Marrow Donor Program's data, more than 10,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with blood-related disorders every year. Even thought the best treatment is a bone marrow transplant for the blood-related disorders, unfortunately, not all the patients are as lucky as Robin Roberts, especially for African-Americans. The chance of finding a match on national registry for African-Americans and other minorities is 66 percent, while the number for Caucasians is 93 percent.
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