Roberts was with mom when she died

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NEW YORK, Sept. 4 (UPI) -- "Good Morning America" co-anchor Robin Roberts said on Facebook she was with her mother when she died last week in Mississippi.

Lucimarian Tolliver Roberts, 88, had been in poor health and died Thursday evening, hours after her daughter, Robin, announced on "GMA" she was headed to Mississippi to see her.

Robin Roberts, a breast cancer survivor, had planned to leave the show Friday to prepare for her treatment for a rare blood disorder, but left a day early to visit her ailing mother, who had appeared on "GMA" several times as a guest.

"My family tells me momma gave me one final gift as her last act. She waited for me to get home on Thursday to say goodbye," Roberts said on Facebook Tuesday.

"She was there when I took my first breath and what a privilege to hold her sweet hand when she took her last breath," she wrote. "Momma knew she wasn't physically able to be with me for my bone marrow transplant. My siblings say mom wanted to spare me the agony it would have been if she had passed and I couldn't be there. That thought was weighing heavily on me."

Roberts said she has postponed her bone-marrow transplant because of her mother's death. She did not say when she planned to undergo the procedure.