Journalist Amy Robach, 50, shares a fun social media photo with her daughter Ava, 21, showing off their curly locks amid joyous smiles. The social media post comes on the heels of her controversial ousting from “Good Morning America” but overcoming adversity is something she’s dealt with before.
Robach was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer in 2013 and underwent a bilateral mastectomy (removal of both breasts) and chemotherapy to treat the cancer and reach remission.
Robach told SurvivorNet in an interview that her cancer experience changed her outlook on life whereas she now has more compassion and empathy for others and herself.
Former “Good Morning America” host Amy Robach, 50, reemerges into the public spotlight with a joyful photo with her daughter, Ava, after leaving the popular morning show last year. Although the journalist faced a bit of controversy upon her exit, it wasn’t her first time facing adversity. As a breast cancer survivor, she’s demonstrated her resilience to bounce back from tough times.
“Curl power” is how Robach captioned her Instagram post with her 21-year-old daughter. They both appear quite excited showing off their natural curly hair and powerful smiles.
Supportive fans chimed in with complimentary comments.
“Gorgeous ladies,” Instagram user Deana Donofrio wrote.
The post with her daughter is Amy Robach’s latest in a string of recent photos she has posted on social media. She shared a photo of one of her favorite college football teams, the Georgia Bulldogs, and her preparing for a New York City marathon.
NEW YORK, NY – OCTOBER 30: (L-R) Amy Robach, Robin Roberts, Taylor Swift, Lara Spencer, and Ginger Zee attend ABC’s “Good Morning America” in Times Square on October 30, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by D Dipasupil/FilmMagic)
Before now, she went dark on the popular social media platform last November amid a scandal after she and her former “Good Morning America” co-host T.J. Holmes, 46, became entangled in an affair that spilled over onto the morning show. In fact, according to the U.K.-based news outlet “The Sun,” Robach and fellow “GMA” host Robin Roberts’ friendship dissolved amid the controversy. Ironically, at the time of Robach and her daughter’s photo posting, Roberts, 62, was getting married to her longtime partner “Sweet” Amber Laign, 48.
Ever since her own diagnosis, Robach has been an advocate for breast cancer. She used her platform to encourage women to get screened and take necessary preventative action to better their chances of beating the disease.
“I think it’s all about education and prevention, at least at this stage,” Robach previously told Hello Magazine.
“For my daughters, we talked about eating right, exercising, and then making sure that they make their appointments, and they keep them,” Robach added.
Although Robach found her voice in breast cancer awareness over time, she admitted just a couple of years after her diagnosis, she struggled to explain her situation to her daughters.
“I had no idea how I was going to tell my daughters,” she previously told People.
“I didn’t want cancer to take one more thing away from me,” she continued.
Robach’s Breast Cancer Journey
Robach’s cancer journey began after being encouraged by Robin Roberts during a segment on the morning show. Like Roberts, who also learned of her cancer diagnosis while undergoing a self-exam, Robach underwent a mammogram on the program to promote breast cancer awareness.
NEW YORK, NY – JULY 08: Amy Robach, Robin Roberts, and George Stephanopoulos on the set of ‘Good Morning America’ at the GMA Studios in Times Square on July 8, 2016, in New York City. (Photo by Walter McBride/WireImage)
Robach’s screening led to her diagnosis of stage 2 invasive breast cancer. She also learned the cancer had spread to her sentinel lymph nodes. After her tumor was detected, she underwent a bilateral mastectomy (also called a double mastectomy) where both breasts were removed. Following the procedure, Robach underwent six months of chemotherapy. Luckily, her treatments helped her reach remission.
Robach previously told SurvivorNet in an interview, that her cancer diagnosis actually brought her closer to her husband Melrose Place star Andrew Shue. Sometimes a major health condition can strengthen relationships as both individuals find support and strength with each other. However, the opposite can also be true if the relationship is already struggling.
Robach also discussed a few of the trials and tribulations you go through as you take on cancer.
Robach’s cancer journey strengthened her compassion for others. She says she developed a new kind of compassion that wasn’t possible before her experience with breast cancer.
“Cancer is something that has changed my life forever, something that I will always live with,” Amy expressed. “There’s anger at first because you’ve lost security and you’ve never had it to begin with. None of us actually have security, but you actually are grieving this loss of security because we all feel like there’s tomorrow. We all feel like there’s another day. When you get to something like this, you’re angry that you lost that. That’s been taken away from you. From that anger, I think, grew compassion and empathy.”
Amy considers that loss of security one of the gifts that cancer can bring. “You truly, truly can feel other people’s pain in a way that you couldn’t have before.”
What To Ask Your Doctor
If you have been diagnosed with breast cancer, you may have questions about how to keep your strength through treatment. Here are a few questions to help you begin the conversation with your doctor:
What treatment will I be receiving?
What side effects are associated with this treatment?
Are there steps I can take in my daily life to help minimize these side effects?
What physical activity routine do you recommend for me during treatment?
Do you have recommendations for someone who doesn’t particularly enjoy exercise?
Can you recommend a dietician who can help me with healthy eating tips and maintaining a healthy weight?
I’ve been having trouble sleeping, do you have any treatment recommendations?
Kavontae Smalls is a writer and reporter for SurvivorNet. Read More
Inspiring Survivors
The cancer community is filled with inspiring survivor stories along with tales of the many ways those living with cancer learn to cope. This series features some of our favorite, influential, and inspired breast cancer survivors.
