I just finished reading Robin Roberts’ fabulous memoir Everybody’s Got Something about her roller coaster ride dealing with a rare blood disorder called myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS).
I first saw Roberts on TV when she was a news anchor for ESPN. “Wow, that’s different,” I thought. I could hardly believe that I was seeing a black woman actually getting to anchor a sports show with the guys, and she was not relegated to the sidelines. Then she moved over to Good Morning America. “Good for her,” I thought. “Someone is recognizing her talent and she’s not being pigeon-holed into staying in sports coverage.”
When I was shopping at the Pittsford Library book sale recently, I saw her memoir, and I passed over it at first, then decided to buy it as I’m always looking for an inspirational read. I’m not a morning TV show watcher, and I don’t think I even knew Roberts had gone through a bone marrow transplant, although I did recall that she’d had breast cancer several years ago.
In her memoir, Roberts writes,
“In Mississippi, where I’m from, there’s an understanding that hard times don’t discriminate. My mother used to say, ‘Everybody’s got something.’ This is the story of my something and my road to something better.”
Yes, everyone has something, some pain, some problem, that they have to deal with. But the saying that stood out to me is another from Roberts’ mother: “Make your mess your message.”
That’s brilliant. If you face adversity, then somehow, some way, turn that into a cause. Roberts certainly did, by being open with her TV audience about her disease, her need for a bone marrow transplant or else she would die within two years. Lucky for her, one of her sisters was a 100 percent match. Roberts’ story inspired thousands of people to join the national bone marrow registry. The majority of people who need a bone marrow transplant never get one because they never find a match. Roberts also has spent time communicating and encouraging people who are waiting for that match.
Her book makes clear that her journey with MDS was no picnic; her mother passed shortly after she was diagnosed so she dealt with that grief in addition to her illness. I admire Roberts’ candor about her feelings and her struggles. Even if you’re a celebrity, it takes courage to share such a personal story.