SAD NEWS! General Hospital updated the health status of John J. York. surprised GH fans – heartbreaking regret!
General Hospital star John J. York became emotional while discussing his battle with cancer and the overwhelming support he has received from fans while joining bone marrow donor registries.
The 65-year-old soap opera actor was diagnosed with two types of blood and bone marrow cancer, myelodysplastic syndrome and smoldering multiple myeloma, in 2022 after a routine checkup. His treatment required bone marrow transplants to fight the disease.
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According to the National Cancer Institute, myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is a type of cancer “in which immature blood cells in the bone marrow do not mature or become healthy blood cells.” Additionally, Smoldering Multiple Myeloma is a slow-growing form of multiple myeloma, which is a form of cancer that affects plasma cells, causing them to overproduce one type of antibody.
John J. York has nothing but gratitude for his fans
York is now back to work, filming episodes of General Hospital for months after undergoing cancer treatments. He went through seven days a week of chemotherapy at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee before being cleared to fly to California and get back on the set.
In November 2023, after months of waiting, York found a perfect 20-year-old bone marrow donor match, allowing him to quickly return to work. The NMDP called him and told him they found an exact match. “I couldn’t talk,” York emotionally recalled to GMA through tears.
The actor received a transfusion of the donated bone marrow cells and hopes to one day meet and thank his life-saving donor in person.
York has starred as Mac Scorpio on General Hospital since originating the character in 1991. He first announced he’d be taking a hiatus from the series in early September. He will return to the soap opera on June 19.
In an emotional interview with ET’s Nischelle Turner in September prior to his transplant, York discussed his diagnosis, treatment journey, and the decision to use his platform to raise awareness for potential donors.
“I did want to keep it private. So when I was diagnosed back in December of 2022, I told [my wife] Vicki [Manners], ‘Oh, let’s just keep it close and go through the process. I don’t want to tell everybody. I don’t want everybody to fight,’” York shared.
York connected with Be the Match, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping patients find a bone marrow or stem cell donor match. During a conversation with a Be the Match representative, he began to realize the potential of using his platform to make a difference.
