Robin Roberts has gone through so much over the past few years. She survived breast cancer in 2007, and was diagnosed in 2012 with a bone marrow disease called myelodysplastic syndrome. Following a bone marrow transplant late last year, she returned to her post at Good Morning America, helping to raise awareness of the need for bone marrow donations. Throughout it all Roberts has remained positive and inspirational.
In an interview with Parade Magazine earlier this year, Roberts expressed her gratitude to her family, doctors, and co-workers, and said that she feels “now more than ever that my life has purpose.” She added “I think that I am being used for light and love and resilience. For whatever reason, I’m able to touch people, and I’m so grateful for that.” Considering that it was touch and go for her, it’s reassuring to know that she remains healthy. Roberts realizes how lucky she is, and in a new Facebook post for the holidays she thanked everyone, again, for their support, including her girlfriend of ten years, Amber Laign. Roberts posted a photo of her sweet dog and said that it was from the first time they were able to reunited after her bone marrow transplant.
Flashback 12/29/12….Hard to believe this was 1 year ago today..when I reached a critical milestone of 100 days post transplant…and KJ [her dog] was finally allowed to come back home.
Reading this comforts me and I hope the same for you: “If you are depressed, you are living in the past. If you are anxious, you are living in the future. If you are at peace, you are living in the present.”
At this moment I am at peace and filled with joy and gratitude.
I am grateful to God, my doctors and nurses for my restored good health.
I am grateful for my sister, Sally-Ann, for being my donor and giving me the gift of life.
I am grateful for my entire family, my long time girlfriend, Amber, and friends as we prepare to celebrate a glorious new year together.
I am grateful for the many prayers and well wishes for my recovery. I return every one of them to you 100 fold.
On this last Sunday of 2013 I encourage you to reflect on what you are grateful for too.
Wishing you a Healthy and Happy New Year.
Peace, love, and blessings to all..XO
Outlets are pointing out that Roberts just came out in a very low-key, matter-of-fact way. It didn’t seem like a big deal to me until I read through her interviews earlier this year, with People and Parade in particular, and noticed that she didn’t mention Laign up until now. That’s sweet and I’m glad she had so much support and love around her. So many people were rooting for her and she pulled through.
I didn’t know that you weren’t able to have contact with pets post-bone marrow transplant. My cousin’s daughter had a bone marrow transplant after contracting leukemia as a teen (she seems to be doing great now) and for several months she couldn’t visit with non-family members at home. So they bought outdoor space heaters for her so that her friends could come over and chat outside where it was safe.
Here’s the picture Robin shared of hugging her dog last year after finally being able to see him again. I want to see a photo of her with her partner, but she seems like a very private person. It must have taken a lot for her to share her health issues and finally a little bit of her personal life, with the public.
Also, Roberts is 53 years old. I thought she was low 40s tops.
Photo credit: Facebook, WENN.com and FameFlynet
I love her, she is a great anchor and interviewer who can fit and mesh with any topic – no matter how serious or how silly. Her personal medical crises have made me admire her as a person very much. I hope she lives to 100!
This plus 10K! She is inspirational! Bless.
Agree. Totally.
This woman exudes class and grace. May she go from strength to strength.
Love Robin and I am happy to hear that she remains healthy.
I don’t think anyone has to share any part of their private life with the public, but I do appreciate the low key way that she acknowledged her girlfriend.
Also agree.
I love her. She’s the reason I started watching GMA & her attitude is inspirational.
Way to go Robin! Love you! Long life & happiness wishes for you & your partner!
She’s great, glad to hear she’s doing well. (And yeah, fingers crossed I look that amazing when I hit 40, let alone 53.)
Brave, beautiful and blessed. Had no idea that she was gay. Her sexual orientation makes no different to me. This is a person the Duck Dynasty asses wish didn’t exist. Shame on them. Some sites have a picture of Robin’s girlfriend Amber. She’s a massage therapist who takes care of people recovering from illness.
Don’t know why anyone is surprised…..her lesbianism has been an open secret for years. While I wish her well, I am tired of hearing about her illness. She isn’t the only person to undergo a bone marrow transplant. Enough already! Can GMA now come up with another story?
Bitter much? Just turn the channel.
Her illness isn’t a “story”. It’s her life and bone marrow donations are still needed the world over every day. When that’s no longer the case, maybe she can shut up about her illness, since it seems to bother YOU so much. God forbid someone with a public platform and first hand knowledge bring attention to an important health issue.
Your compassion and generosity towards others is staggering.
Well I joined Bone Marrow Registry because of Robin.I pray that I will be a match.I’m Black and we are underrepresented in the Registry.I felt Robin would “come out” after her mother died.Ive known she was Gay since she was at ESPN .It was an open secret like Sam Chapion,Anderson Cooper,Shepherd Smith,etc
@Beckyr what a rude and thoughtless comment. The lack of available bone marrow donations remains a very serious public health topic of concern. Trolling much?
And compounding it is the fact that minorities are grossly underrepresented. If Robin can get people to sign up to either be an organ donor OR on be the bone marrow registry — kudos to her. Double that if it’s a minority signing up.
It’s sad in this day and age the comments you see. I keep seeing on sites some comments like: We don’t need these celebrities talking about their sex life or who they are having sex with. That’s what the ignorant see it as still, reducing it down to a sex act. and keep it out of my face.
She’s not talking about her sex life. She’s thanking her loved ones, which includes her long-time relationship of a decade. No one thinks it’s talking about your sex life when a heterosexual mentions their spouse or long-term relationship.
+1
Exactly. They’re just bitter homophobes who want everyone who’s not heterosexual to have to ‘stay in the closet.’ That’s what it’s really about- it’s not about not wanting to hear about someone’s sex life. If she had said, “my long-term boyfriend”, they wouldn’t have had a problem with it.
Robin Roberts is a class act and a great presence on TV. Congratulations to her on the milestones she has reached this year!
Good for her!!!!
Love the picture with her been reunited with her dog. As far as a coming out statement, it felt more like a statement of love and support from family, friends and her partner.
Absolutely adore her! And how soon folks forget that her activism re breast cancer awareness resulted on her co-worker’s diagnosis! She is a caring individual- hope her and her partner share many more healthy years together.
I agree. She’s lovely.
I had breast cancer last year, and I was shocked by the number of women who told me they had never had a mammogram. They had been “meaning” to, but hadn’t gotten around to it. I think it helps when well known people talk about diseases.
Really? Oh {{HUGS}} Deary. That’s yucky. You are all better now? I hope so and for years to come too.
I mean — who else am I going to drink with?
😉
I thought she was already out.
I heard maybe last year that it’s been an open secret for years in GMA and that her close friends have known for a long time, as have the Obamas, hence the President interviewing with her in support of gay rights, that she hadn’t been more public due to her religious mom but that she passed recently so it became less of a thing for her
Sad that she couldn’t be herself with her mother. Unconditional love should be a requirement of being a parent.
My cousin is her stylist and he always talks about how amazing she is… he’s gotten offers from other celebs but he won’t leave GMA because he absolutely loves working with Robin. Beautiful on the inside and out!
It’s so nice to know she really is as nice as she appears to be in public – AND tell your cousin that I think she always looks fab so he is doing great work!
Totally agree, ncboudicca.
this woman is classy in every sense.
Best wishes for everything.
I remember waking up in the mornings in middle school to watch her on ESPN. I always thought it was so cool because they didn’t have a lot of female anchors on there, and she was very good.
Wow, she does look amazing for 53, especially given all of the terrible health problems she’s had!
I haven’t followed Robin Roberts and didn’t realize she’s had two serious diseases — I thought the bone marrow thing was connected to her breast cancer. I’m glad she’s doing well. I had surgery for thyroid cancer a couple of months ago, and now doctors have found some kind of mass in my brain that appears to be unconnected to that. Going through all this is tough on my husband, and I’m sure this has been an very difficult few years for Robin’s partner as well. Serious illnesses can strain relationships — I’m very glad they’ve come though strong as a couple.
Hugs to you Venus…Hoping and praying for your good health…
My best thoughts and wishes for you!
Can we stop calling it “coming out” if she was never “in the closet” in the first place?
Yep I think I had already figured out that Robin more than likely had a girlfriend and not a boyfriend, but I really don’t give two snaps. I like her and think she does a grade A job in her field. Here is wishing her a happy and healthy 2014!
I love her, and admire her. Has always been, and will. Period.
I had the wonderful pleasure of meeting her when she spoke at my college graduation years ago. She has such a presence about her, strong yet calm. To be such a private person, I am glad she didn’t feel any pressure to leave out Amber in her letter.
I joined the bone marrow registry because of Robin. Love her!
Is anyone surprised by this at all? In fact, watching Robin’s recent interviews (glad she’s on the mend!) I’d actually been kind of asking myself if and when she would come out. As many commenters above have suggested, this was likely an open secret at GMA for ages and has always just seemed so…clear to me.
In fact, so many here and elsewhere always carry on about wondering if male celebs are gay (as if it’s a game or something) even when the men have only ever dated women and repeatedly say that they identify as straight (and often the terms used in the conversation are very crass and, I think, inappropriate-“beards” “gaydar” etc.), that I’m left to wonder why there has always been such uncharacteristic silence in this area on the female celeb front?
In any case, happy that Robin is happy and that her puppy has his “mom” back 🙂 She must have been lost without him!
I don’t watch GMA, but I have been following her story and have nothing but the best wishes for her and her family.
Good for her! I wish her a full and speedy recovery, with the minimum of discomfort. Everyday one lives is truly a gift!
Can someone explain why she wasn’t able to see her dog for a while??
I was going to comment about this so yes.
🙂
When you go through a bone marrow transplant you have to wipe out the body’s ENTIRE immune system and the new bone marrow is supposed to ‘reboot’ the immune system after it being wiped out. However, it’s a precarious and dangerous time for the patient undergoing it and so any and everything that can introduce infections are eliminated. Any animal has the potential of bringing in dangerous bacteria, viruses, and fungi so it’s best to keep them away until the immune system has a chance to rebuild itself.
Note: Animals have a natural immunity to a lot of bugs that humans don’t have. E. coli is an example and is often found in pet food (dog & cat) but they suffer no ill effects from it, unlike humans.
Hope that helps.
🙂
Ahh thank you! That is awful and makes me sad to think about. I can’t imagine going through something like that without being able to cuddle my cats as I lay in bed, recovering.
Everything about Robin is beyond impressive: her professional career, athletic career, her demonstrated grace and inspiration in health battles.
She seems like one of those special people that bring out the best in those around them.