‘GH’ John J. York Tearfully Talks Life Saving Cancer Treatment

General Hospital star John J. York is sharing a cancer update for the first time since beginning his treatment. The actor announced in late 2022 that he had been diagnosed with two types of blood and bone marrow cancer, myelodysplastic syndrome and smoldering multiple myeloma. He decided to fight the disease and opted for the most aggressive treatment they could find. Now, he tearfully gave an update for fans. Plus, he is coming back to the soap he’s been a part of for so long. Keep reading to find out what John had to say.

GH John J. York Talks About Cancer Journey

General Hospital actor John J. York appeared on Good Morning America Monday to share a long-awaited update on his cancer journey. It turns out, a diagnosis when he was 17 may have saved his life. When he was a teen he was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.

Because of the diagnosis, he had to have annual checkups. Upon doing one of the checkups in 2022 they discovered the two forms of cancer. John asked the doctor how long he had if he chose not to treat it. He was told only three to five years.

John opted for the most aggressive form of treatment. He underwent seven intense days of chemotherapy in Tennessee. He would then work for two to three weeks at a time. John was also placed on the bone marrow donor list.

In late 2023, John received a call that would change his life. They had found a 20-year-old with an exact match for bone marrow. This donation saved his life.

John J. York Family-YouTube

He said, “She said we found an exact match. And I just couldn’t talk. It’s just a little bag of, you know, blood and fluid, and they put it in my body 40 minutes later, and now, I’m this person and my cells are now fighting each other and battling each other and getting to know each other. And here we are back to work.”

Now, after months he’s returning to work. He has been filming for weeks but will officially make his return to television screens as Mac Scorpio on June 19.

He Hopes To Meet The Donor

John J. York also revealed that after a year he will be able to find out the identity of the donor that saved his life. He absolutely wants to meet him and even play golf together.

Since going public with his diagnosis, John emotionally revealed that so many people have signed up to be bone marrow donors. More awareness has been brought to the donor registry and he is happy about that.

John also shared that he has received a ton of support from people everywhere.

Don’t miss John’s big return as Mac on Wednesday.

Stay tuned for more updates.