Lasting Partnerships
- GMA anchor Robin Roberts, 60, marked her 16th anniversary with partner Amber Laign, 46.
- In an Instagram post, Roberts calls Laign a “blessing.”
- Roberts was diagnosed with breast cancer two years into her relationship with Laign. Having a strong support system through cancereither through a partner, spouse, family member, or friendcan make such a difference.
GMA anchor Robin Roberts, a two-time cancer survivor, marked her 16th anniversary with partner Amber Laign with a super sweet Instagram post honoring the woman who helped her through cancer.
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The pair met through mutual friends on a blind date in 2005, Roberts shared with Ellen DeGeneres on The Ellen Show. In her 2015 book, Everybody's Got Something, Roberts cheekily shared that "Amber and I have been a loving couple for almost ten years now, but we choose not to live together. Maybe that's why we've lasted almost a decade!"
Roberts has a home in Manhattan and one in Connecticut. Due to her early workday starts on Good Morning America, she typically stays in her Manhattan residence during the week. However, during the pandemic, they've spent more time together than ever before. In an April 2021 issue of People magazine, Roberts said, "We spent more time together this past year than in the previous 15 years combined. We've never been stronger."
Roberts’ Breast Cancer Battle
Roberts was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007, and she went through her cancer battle quite publicly, too. Roberts discovered her breast cancer while on the job: She was preparing for a news story about the need for early detection for breast cancer, and she performed a self-check at home. While doing an exam on herself, Roberts discovered a lump.
Related: When Should I Get a Mammogram?
"At first I thought, 'This can't be. I am a young, healthy woman,'" Roberts said after the incident. She treated her breast cancer with surgery, one of several treatment options for this disease. Breast cancer can also be treated with radiation, chemotherapy, hormone therapy and immunotherapy. As Roberts discovered, early detection is critically important when it comes to saving lives and expanding treatment options as well.
In addition to her breast cancer battle, the anchor had to have a bone marrow transplant to treat her MDS, a rare type of blood cancer.
Dr. Ann Partridge, an oncologist at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, describes in an earlier interview how she determines if a woman should have surgery to treat her cancer. "So when I talk to a woman who comes to me and she has breast cancer, I evaluate what the standard options for treatment for her are, which typically include cutting out the cancer which is either a lumpectomy if you can get it all with just a little scooping around of the area that's abnormal or a mastectomy for some women meaning taking the full breast because sometimes these lesions can be very extensive in the breast. And I'll talk to a woman about that and I'll say these are two main options or the big fork in the road."
When should you consider a mastectomy?
Supportive Partners Through Cancer
Roberts was diagnosed with breast cancer two years into her relationship with Amber. Having a strong support system through cancer either through a partner, spouse, family member, or friend can make a world of a difference. Even though it can feel scary to be emotionally vulnerable with others (even those closest to you), reach out during your cancer journey when you need support. Loved ones will want to be there for you in your time of need.
Melanoma survivor and actress Jill Kargman says in an earlier interview that she believes cancer is a litmus test for romantic relationships. She candidly tells SurvivorNet, "I think cancer is a great way to find out if you're with the love of your life or a shithead. I think it presses the fast forward button on getting to the bottom of that answer, because a lot of people in middle age are kind of at a crossroads, waiting for their kids to fly the coop."
Related: ‘You Have to Find Something To Hold On To’: A Cancer Survivor's Love Story
"And I think if you're with someone who is not supportive and kind of emotionally checked out or doesn't tell you you're still beautiful with that, this might not be your person," says Kargman.
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