Lara Spencer showed up on Good Morning America after a one week absence with news that she’s taking life one shaky step at a time.
Spencer, 55, had been living for decades with physical issues stemming from a diving accident she suffered in college. Spencer was a nationally ranked collegiate diver when she attended Pennsylvania State University and even once revisited her alma mater for a diving segment on GMA where she reunited with her diving coach.
Viewers may not have known about Spencer’s injury then, but it never fully healed in the years thereafter and it became more painful in recent years.
Spencer took to Instagram to reveal how she suffered the injury, explaining, “I was doing a reverse one and a half and hit the board, shattering toes and joints.”
At the time, she was told there was nothing that can be done except to tape it up and let it heal but now she finally decided to do something about it. “Today,” she noted, “there are much better options.”
She found Dr. Martin O’Malley of New York Hospital for Special Surgery and took time off last year to have surgery performed on her right foot, which had a torn plantar plate and ligament. This week, Lara underwent surgery on her left foot, fixing the issues remaining from her collegiate injury. She said she realized that the surgery for her right foot last year was actually easier than her left foot this year, leaving her in a present state of walking chaos.
Spencer explained that to fully heal moving forward, she has to wear special boots for the next several weeks. While showing a photo of Dr. O’Malley on social media, she wrote,”If I look a little groggy it’s thanks to this guy who just gave me a new pair of boots.”
Spencer’s surgery has not even been the most difficult part of her year. Her mother developed a brain tumor which forced her to undergo 6 weeks of radiation treatment. The good news is that the treatment concluded in October and Spencer is celebrating her mom’s new outlook on life. “My mom,” she stated, “is proof positive your work is a game changer. Mom-your spirituality and belief that anything is possible are a masterclass in how to live.”
In some way or another, the GMA hosts all have had a challenging year.
Robin Roberts fractured her right wrist while playing tennis, and showed up on set with her wrist bandaged up, causing viewers to wonder what happened.
George Stephanopoulos’ father-in-law passed away in the summer.
Michael Strahan took time off to be with his daughter Isabella, who underwent cancer treatment. As of July 2024, she is cancer-free.
Recently, GMA has seen its ratings drop while it attempts to move out of its old studio in the Upper West Side and into a new studio downtown. The move prompted reports of horrible working conditions, albeit temporary. Workers were left with no heat, no working wifi, and no way to get rid of the reportedly horrible smell of the old studio.
Perhaps with its move, GMA will have a promising 2025 and hopefully all of the GMA hosts will have a happier year than the one before.
Published: Dec 13, 2024 06:30 pm