TJ Holmes reveals near-death experience and Amy Robach's breast cancer scare impacted his outlook on life
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: In a poignant episode of the 'Amy and TJ Podcast,' T.J Holmes and his partner Amy Robach opened up about near-death experiences that had a profound impact on their outlook on life.
The discussion was sparked by the podcast guests Valley Collins and Tim Whittaker, both of whom survived the harrowing 'Miracle on the Hudson' which took place 15 years ago on January 15, 2009.
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What was the 'Miracle on the Hudson' incident?
The 2009 incident known as the 'Miracle on the Hudson' involved Captain Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger III's heroic emergency landing on the Hudson River, prompted by a collision with a flock of birds that struck the US Airways Flight 1549 under his command.
The strike shortly after the takeoff left the plane to lose all engine power, according to People.
While all 155 passengers survived, all onboard including Whittaker, Collins, and Holmes feared the worst outcome.
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The 46-year-old former 'Good Morning America' anchor reflected on how the incident and Robach's breast cancer scare changed his perspective on life.
"You all help me, everybody I’m sitting here with," Holmes told Robach, Collins and Whittaker.
Amy Robach's breast cancer diagnosis
While speaking to Holmes, Whittaker, and Collins about the 'Miracle on the Hudson' incident, she reflected on her Stage II breast cancer diagnosis in 2013.
"I really appreciate your honesty and your transparency," Robach said.
"Because when the unthinkable happens —when the thing that is almost impossible, actually happens to you — that fear is real. And fear is a powerful thing," the 50-year-old said.
"When people say, ‘'Oh, what are the chances?’ You can say, ‘Actually, if it’s less than 1%, if it happens to you, it’s everything. It’s 100%.'"
"And living then your life, knowing that your greatest fear could actually happen, is crippling in moments," she added.
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The television personality learned about her cancer diagnosis following a mammogram done live on 'Good Morning America.'
Before Robach's final round of treatment in April 204, she had eight rounds of chemotherapy and a double mastectomy.
Reflecting on Robach's health scare, Holmes said he "thought she was going to die" following her diagnosis and continues to relive that fear "every 6 months," when she gets her checkups.
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"You’re still wondering about how much time you have left," he told Robach.
"Maybe all three of you have got to help me understand here," Holmes told Robach, Whittaker, and Collins.
"Who chalks that up to just coincidence? ... I’ve got more into later in my life about the universe giving you signs. There are signs out there... But how do you make sense of, ''I’m not supposed to be here?' ", he added.
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