Pediatric Von Willebrand Disease: Practice Essentials, Pathophysiology, Epidemiology
Robin Roberts Marks 12 Years Since 'GMA' Return After Stem Cell Transplant
Take the first step to sign up to become a bone marrow donor today. Visit www.Nmdp.Org/GMA50 to learn more about the registry.
"Good Morning America" co-anchor Robin Roberts is marking 12 years since she returned to the anchor desk after receiving a lifesaving stem cell transplant to treat myelodysplastic syndrome, or MDS, a rare blood disorder that affects the bone marrow.
Roberts still vividly remembers her long-awaited return to work in February 2013 and said her faith, family and friends played a large part in helping her get through her treatments and recovery.
Robin Roberts returned to anchor Good Morning America, Feb. 20, 2013, almost six months after taking a medical leave of absence to undergo a bone marrow transplant for a rare blood disorder.
Heidi Gutman/ABC
Roberts' eldest sister Sally-Ann Roberts donated some of her stem cells to her, giving her the gift of life again.
Good Morning America co-anchor Robin Roberts with her sister Sally-Ann Roberts, who gave her a second chance at life by being her stem cell donor.
ABC News
"It was the easiest thing in the world to be a donor, and I'm just so amazed at your strength," her sister said back in 2013.
Related Articles'GMA' marks 10 years since Robin Roberts' lifesaving bone marrow transplant
According to NMDP, formerly Be The Match, about 18,000 people each year are diagnosed with a disease that is best treated with a stem cell donation, and approximately 12,000 of them will likely need to turn to a registry like the NMDP to find an unrelated donor for the best chance at a cure.
Over the years, many have helped the cause, providing swab samples to potentially save a life, including students and staff at Roberts' alma mater Southeastern Louisiana University and staffers at ABC News stations nationwide.
Related ArticlesOne Match, Second Chance: A 'GMA3' Exclusive
They also include Roberts' nephew Jeremiah Craft, who first turned down the opportunity to be a donor as a teenager before changing his mind and jumping at a second chance to donate in 2024.
"What I'm doing here versus what this person is going through, it's just incomparable," Craft said at the time, ahead of his donation.
Roberts called Craft a "superhero" for helping to save a life.
"I'm trying to do the right thing for the second time," Craft added.
Editor's Picks
Mom meets woman who saved son's life with bone marrow donation
ABC News reporter meets bone marrow recipient 1 year after lifesaving donation
One teen's search for a bone marrow match leads to unlikely friendship
Another donor -- Katrice Randolph -- said she was motivated to become a stem cell donor because of a childhood friend whose sister had sickle cell disease, a type of red blood cell disorder.
Katrice Randolph became a stell cell donor and met Kelsey, the young girl who was her recipient, on "Good Morning America" on Feb. 20, 2025.
GMA
"When I went to college, I saw the former Be the Match [now NMDP] table and I signed up," Randolph recalled on "GMA" Thursday. "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."
"The process was amazing and I would do it again," Randolph continued.
Randolph was surprised on "GMA" Thursday when she had the opportunity to meet Kelsey for the first time with her mother Ebony Farris, who said meeting Randolph was "amazing."
Katrice Randolph became a stell cell donor and met Kelsey, the young girl who was her recipient, on "Good Morning America" on Feb. 20, 2025.
GMA
"Oh, my goodness, it restores faith in humanity to do something so selfless for a stranger," Farris said of what Randolph did for her daughter.
Swab samples offer hope for people like Joshua Biyoyouwei, who also has sickle cell disease.
"I'm praying and hoping that Joshua will find his match. And I just want people to go out and get their cheeks swabbed," Joshua's mother Vera Johnson said. "Just do it on behalf of Joshua or on behalf of any children like him that needs a bone marrow transplant."
FDA Approves New Prep Regimen For Bone Marrow Transplant
Jan. 23, 2025 – The FDA has approved a new treatment to help people get ready for a bone marrow transplant. It is for adults and children 1 year and older with certain blood cancers, like acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS).
Sold under the name Grafapex (treosulfan), it is used with another drug called fludarabine as a pretreatment in patients undergoing a donor bone marrow transplant.
A donor bone marrow transplant, also called allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (alloHSCT), replaces unhealthy stem cells with healthy stem cells and is crucial for treating AML and MDS. Before the transplant, patients receive chemotherapy, with or without radiation, to destroy cancer cells and suppress the immune system, improving the chances of success. This process, called conditioning, can impact outcomes as factors like graft rejection, infections, and treatment side effects affect survival.
Treosulfan with fludarabine forms a conditioning regimen that damages a cancer cell's DNA functions, causing the cell to die. While treosulfan injection has now received its first FDA approval, fludarabine was approved in 1991. Medexus, the maker of Grafapex, says it can help people live longer while reducing side effects and has announced in a press release that it will launch the medication in the first half of 2025.
The FDA approved the treatment after reviewing a study of 570 patients who had AML or MDS. The study showed that people who got the new drug combination lived longer than those who got the older treatment before their bone marrow transplant.
Overall, patients who got the new treatment were 33% less likely to die compared to those who got the older treatment.
The most common side effects of the medication are muscle and bone pain, mouth sores, fever, nausea, swelling, infections, and vomiting.
Robin Roberts Admits It's 'still Very Hard' As She Chokes Up On GMA Marking Emotional Milestone
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.
Recommended videoYou may also likeWATCH: Robin Roberts marks the 10th anniversary of her bone marrow transplant
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.
Good Morning America marked 12 years since Robin's return to the show after her bone marrow transplantAfter 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.
MORE: Robin Roberts comments on living situation decision with wife Amber
"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."
"I love being a walking, breathing symbol for folks that this too shall pass."Robin 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."
MORE: Robin Roberts' fans ask for her to be 'protected at all costs' following latest move
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.
Her fellow anchors were around to support and cheer her and the mission onThe 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.
MORE: Robin Roberts 'delighted' as very familiar 'co-star' returns to ABC at the start of the year
Robin was also joined by her nephew Jeremiah, who is a bone marrow donor"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.
Comments
Post a Comment