"Good Morning America" anchor Robin Roberts has found a way to transform her illness into a blessing. Having recently informed the public of her MDS diagnosis, Roberts has shed a much needed light on the blood and bone marrow disease. According to the national bone marrow donation registry Be The Match, Robert's MDS announcement on June 11 inspired about 15,000 of people to register for donations, causing the average rate of new registrants to double. Out of those thousands of registrants, about 60 to 70 will be deemed a good match and possibly be used in a transplant.
Roberts, who has received a bone marrow transplant from her sister, has also been hands on with increasing awareness. In Manhattan at the ABC Newsroom headquarters, she spearheaded a bone marrow registry drive where "GMA" anchors George Stephonopolous and Lara Spencer both contributed to the cause. In regards to her proactive approach to her disease, Roberts points to her mother, who advised her to "turn a mess into a message." "When I received this latest disappointment I did not know what the message would be," Roberts said, "and now I do."
