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Tag: Myelodysplastic Syndrome

  • Christian Audigier: Ed Hardy Designer Dies of Blood Disease

    Christian Audigier, the French designer known for creating the Ed Hardy brand of clothing, has died of a rare blood disease at the age of 57.

    Michele Elyzabeth is Audigier’s longtime publicist. She confirmed his passing in a statement.

    “I just heard the news and I am truly devastated. Christian was an incredibly brilliant man. He will be missed,” she said.

    Diagnosed with MDS (Myelodysplastic Syndrome) back in January, Christian Audigier was admitted to an L.A. hospital recently in a comatose state. He reportedly woke up from the coma prior to passing away. MDS is the same disease Good Morning America co-host Robin Roberts suffered from. She received a bone marrow transplant from her sister in her efforts to beat the disease.

    Christian Audigier created the Ed Hardy label in the early 2000s. Made even more popular by celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Ashton Kutcher, Nicole Richie, and Madonna, the popular trucker hats, t-shirts, swimsuits, dresses, and more were hugely popular.

    “My demo is tabloid magazine,” Audigier said in a 2009 interview with GQ. “I am different from the other designer. Because what they say they hate, I love. They say they hate it but they always looking at it.”

    Christian Audigier sold the Ed Hardy line to Iconix Brand Group in 2011 for more than $60 million.

    The brand slipped in popularity almost as quickly as it soared. Kate Gosselin’s ex-husband Jon Gosselin has been mercilessly targeted in the tabloids in recent years for still wearing Ed Hardy t-shirts.

    It’s sad that Christian Audigier has lost his battle with MDS. Sadly, not everyone is being respectful in light of his passing.

    Surely more information about Christian Audigier’s passing and any funeral plans will be shared with the media in the coming days.

  • Robin Roberts Releases Her Memoir

    Robin Roberts Releases Her Memoir

    Robin Roberts has released her memoir. Titled Everybody’s Got Something, it recently went on sale at book stores and at online book sellers, too. In it she explains that the title comes from something her mother always used to say, and that her own “something” came in the form of a myelodysplastic syndrome diagnosis. The Good Morning America host stopped by The Late Show to visit with David Letterman earlier this week, and she dished about her health, her happiness, and her new book.

    “I can look at your right now and say I am healthier and happier than I’ve ever been,” Roberts gushed. “That’s all the matters.”

    “Nobody gets a free ride,” Letterman told her in response.

    “You think you’re the only one,” Roberts said of overcoming her health struggles. “And my momma would say, ‘Honey, everybody’s got something.’ Everybody’s got something, not just a challenge, but something to give to help you get through that challenge.”

    Robin underwent a successful bone marrow transplant about a year ago while on leave from GMA. In addition to having myelodysplastic syndrome, she is also a breast cancer survivor.

    “I am humbled that many have an interest, and draw strength from my on-going journey,”she said, adding that she’s “grateful for the prayers and well wishes of so many people.”

    Everybody’s Got Something isn’t Robin Roberts’ first book either. She is also the author of From the Heart: Seven Rules to Live By which made it to the New York Times Best-Seller’s List. During a recent book signing for her new book, however, she was surprised by a visit from former GMA anchor Charlie Gibson.

    Robin Roberts impressed fans with her strength of character and attitude as she battled her most recent illness. They–along with those at the ABC Network–were beyond thrilled when she survived the harrowing medical ordeal and made her return to Good Morning America.

    Will you be checking out Robin’s new book?

    Image via Twitter

  • Robin Roberts Launches PSA For Bone Marrow Donation

    Robin Roberts Launches PSA For Bone Marrow Donation

    In June of 2012, “Good Morning America” host Robin Roberts announced that she was suffering from myelodysplastic syndrome, and after receiving a bone marrow transplant from her sister Sally-Ann Roberts, she’s now urging everyone to be a possible bone marrow donor in two new PSAs.

    The PSAs are entitled “I Beat Cancer. Twice” and “Focus on the Fight,” and both were released on Martin Luther King Day and will run through June 30, 2014. They’re being spearheaded by the organizations Be The Match and Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) respectively.

    The CEO of Be The Match, Dr. Jeffrey W. Chell, says Roberts is the perfect person to bring more attention to cancer related causes, due to her level of celebrity and her personal fight with myelodysplastic syndrome. “Be The Match and SU2C both recognize the persuasive power of someone like Robin Roberts, who has shown outstanding leadership while fighting her own battle with cancer,” he said. “Through SU2C, the entertainment industry as a whole has become a leading voice in the fight against cancer, which makes SU2C a natural partner for Be The Match.”

    Post by Robin Roberts.

    A little bit after Christmas, Roberts took to her Facebook page to announce that she’s been cancer free for 100 days she and thanked her family as well as her doctors.

    “Flashback 12/29/12,” she wrote. “Hard to believe this was 1 year ago today when I reached a critical milestone of 100 days post transplant, and KJ was finally allowed to come back home….”I am grateful to God, my doctors and nurses for my restored good health. I am grateful for my sister, Sally-Ann, for being my donor and giving me the gift of life.”

    Lisa Paulsen, who co-founded SU2C, said the purpose of the PSAs are to empower each individual who may think they can’t make a difference fighting cancer on their own. “We’re thrilled to collaborate with Robin Roberts and Be The Match,” she said in a press release. “This campaign speaks to one of the core ideas on which SU2C was founded: that every individual can make a difference in the effort to stop cancer from taking so many lives.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Robin Roberts Comes Out in Facebook Post

    It’s been almost one year since “Good Morning America” host Robin Roberts received a bone-marrow transplant from her older sister Sally-Ann to treat a blood disorder called myelodysplastic syndrome. Reportedly, she obtained the disease after being treated for breast cancer.

    So to celebrate the milestone and to acknowledge the fact that she’s now in remission, Roberts wrote a thank-you-letter to her doctors, as well as her sister. But she also took the time to thank her girlfriend of 10 years Amber, which marks the first time the veteran newscaster has spoken about her sexuality.

    “I am grateful to god, my doctors and nurses for my restored good health,” wrote Roberts in a Facebook post. “I am grateful for my sister, Sally-Ann, for being my donor and giving me the gift of life. I am grateful for my entire family, my long time girlfriend, Amber and friends, as we prepare to celebrate a glorious new year together.

    Roberts took the time to thank her many fans and supporters as well. “I am grateful for the many prayers and well wishes for my recovery. I return every one of them to you 100 fold.”

    According to the Daily News, Amber’s full name is Amber Laign, who works in New York City as a massage therapist, and the two have shared a home for more than a decade.

    Additionally, Roberts took the time to give some words of encouragement for anyone facing a challenge, and with thousands of “likes” and “shares,” it seems her words were well-received by many.

    “Reading this comforts me and I hope the same for you,” she wrote. “If you are depressed, you are living in the past. If you are anxious, you are living in the future. If you are at peace, you are living in the present. Hard to believe this was one year ago today when I reached a critical milestone of 100 days post transplant.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons