'General Hospital' star John J York returns to work after 'aggressive' cancer treatment
"General Hospital" star John York is ready to return to the show after undergoing bone marrow transplants for two cancer diagnoses. York emotionally thanked all of his supporters since announcing his illness in September.
"General Hospital" star John J. York got emotional while recounting his long cancer battle.
York, who announced his hiatus from the hit soap opera in September, was a guest on "Good Morning America" and explained that a number of people signed up to donate bone marrow after he announced his cancer diagnosis.
"Everybody has been very welcoming, very supportive," York said before beginning to cry. "And here I go already right off the top ‘cause I can’t tell you how nice it’s been, the support that I’ve gotten."
After a routine check-up in December 2022, York was diagnosed with two types of blood and bone marrow cancer: myelodysplastic syndrome and smoldering multiple myeloma.
According to the Mayo Clinic, myelodysplastic syndrome is "a group of disorders caused by blood cells that are poorly formed or don't work properly. Myelodysplastic syndromes result from something amiss in the spongy material inside your bones where blood cells are made (bone marrow)."
The Mayo Clinic describes smoldering multiple myeloma as a form of multiple myeloma that does not always cause symptoms, explaining "If the myeloma is at an early stage and is growing slowly, you might have regular checkups to monitor the cancer."
"I made the announcement and it has helped. And so many people have joined the registry, just to help to save someone's life," York said, taking a pause in the middle of the statement as he continued to get emotional.
Due to both of York's diagnoses, he required a bone marrow transplant.
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The actor had to undergo seven days of chemotherapy at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee before he was allowed to get on a flight to Los Angeles to film "General Hospital." His first episode back will air on June 19.
After York was told he would have "3-5 years" if he did not undergo treatment, he decided to go the most "aggressive" route – by getting a bone marrow transplant and chemotherapy.
"My philosophy was always, ‘One day at a time, let’s just get through today,'" he said. "I made the announcement, and it has helped and so many people have joined the registry just to help save someone’s life."
It took some time for York to find a stem cell donor. He recalled on "Good Morning America" the moment he found a donor.
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"She said we found an exact match and I just couldn’t talk," York said. "It’s just a little bag of blood and fluid, and they put it in my body, 40 minutes later, and now I’m this person."
York explained that his cells are "now fighting each other and battling each other and getting to know each other."
"And here we are, back to work," he added. John has appeared on "General Hospital" since 1991.
York's hiatus from the show didn't feel very long to him, but rather felt like he "had a little break."