Robin Roberts Tearfully Announces Rare Blood Disorder Diagnosis on GMA

GMA co-host Robin Roberts announced on the show this morning that she has been diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome. Roberts explained that she will begin chemotherapy for MDS, a disease of the blood and bone marrow, today. She was diagnosed with the rare disease on the same day as the much-scrutinized Obama same-sex marriage interview.

Roberts, a breast cancer survivor, will undergo a bone marrow transplant later this year. Robins' sister will act as her donor, and though the patient survival rate is often bleak, the sisters are a "virtually perfect match" and her doctors remain optimistic.

In a statement on GMA's website, Roberts says:

Going forward, it's business as usual at GMA, which means I'll be right here every day with George, Sam, Josh and Lara. When I miss a day here or there, I'm fortunate that some very talented friends at ABC News will fill-in. When I undergo the transplant later this year, I'll miss a chunk of time.

When I faced breast cancer, your prayers and good wishes sustained me, gave me such hope and played a major role in my recovery. In facing this new challenge, I ask humbly for more of your prayers and love – as I will keep you in my mine and update you regularly on my condition.

[Image via Getty]