Robin Roberts on Her Partner Amber Laign's Breast Cancer Diagnosis: 'You Feel Helpless'

Robin Roberts is one strong woman, but even she had a hard time processing her longtime partner, Amber Laign's, breast cancer diagnosis. During her April 12 interview with Tamron Hall, Roberts opened up about how she dealt with the news, and how she's doing now. 

“I didn't get terrible [emotional] till the end [of the video] about Amber," Roberts said, fighting back tears, of the emotional video she posted on Instagram revealing Laign's diagnosis.

Roberts -- who was previously diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007 and myelodysplastic syndrome, a bone marrow disease, in 2012 -- went on to share how watching Laign go through her health struggles is different than when she was dealing with her own journey.

"Up until that point, when you are the patient going through it, you've got on your armor, and I'm an athlete at heart and my doctors are my coaches and I had a game plan, the chemotherapy, the treatment," the 61-year-old newswoman explained. "When your loved one is going through it, you feel so helpless."

"And I have been more emotional about her than I was my two times combined," Roberts admitted. "But God is good and it's been challenging."

Roberts shared news of Laign's diagnosis alongside an emotional video on Instagram in February.

"My sweet Amber wanted me to tell you something that she’s been facing. At the end of last year, Amber was diagnosed with breast cancer," Roberts said of her partner of more than 15 years. "She had surgery last month, and this morning will begin chemotherapy. Thankfully, the prognosis is good. And we’re so grateful to our family and close friends who have known this and have kept it private until Amber was ready to share it with others." 

“She and I have been together almost 17 years and have helped each other through our challenges, like my journey with cancer,” Roberts added. “It's my turn now, to be there for her as she was for me."

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