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News anchor suffers stroke live on air
It didn't take long for her coworkers to recognize what was happening.
Cherie Gozon
09.30.22

Our body usually gives us signs if it is not 100%. We feel aches and pains in some body parts, and we consult our doctor if it is a symptom of something worse. It’s best not to ignore these signs for early detection.

Unsplash - Olgo Kononenko
Source:
Unsplash - Olgo Kononenko

However, some illnesses give you a sudden blow when you least expect it. We can consider them as physiological traitors for not giving us a warning before they hit us. This is exactly what happened to this Oklahoma news anchor who didn’t see any illness coming.

Stroke on cam

KJHR anchor Julie Chin was in her usual self and was ready for work. She was on cam to introduce the following news story when she started stumbling on her words. You could see her wince, smile, and stutter some more.

YouTube Screenshot - Inside Edition
Source:
YouTube Screenshot - Inside Edition

She tried to correct her mistakes as she read on from the prompter. But it wasn’t when she felt her arm go numb that she stopped reading and said:

“I’m sorry something is going on with me this morning, and I apologize to everybody.”

Her colleagues noticed this, too, and spotted these early symptoms of a stroke. They immediately called 911.

No warning signs

YouTube Screenshot - Inside Edition
Source:
YouTube Screenshot - Inside Edition

Julie was just as surprised as everyone in the studio since she was very much upbeat prior their airing. She even took a photo with her co-anchor promoting college football. It was during the newscast while she was on cam that it slowly happened.

“First, I lost partial vision in one eye. A little bit later, my hand and arm went numb. Then, I knew I was in big trouble when my mouth would not speak the words that were right in front of me on the teleprompter,” she wrote in her Facebook post.

She said she tried her best to go on, but the words didn’t come out of her mouth. That’s when she directly turned it over to the meteorologist.

Acting F.A.S.T.

Julie also spread awareness about stroke and how acting fast could mean the difference in saving someone’s life. She shared on that same Facebook post how stroke is not always apparent, like what she experienced on that show.

Flickr - FolsomNatural
Source:
Flickr - FolsomNatural

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published the act F.A.S.T. test that one should do to someone who seems to have a stroke.

FACE. Let the person smile and check if any side of their face is drooping.
ARMS. Ask the person to raise both arms and see if an arm would drift downward.
SPEECH. This is one of the most obvious signs. Let the person speak and observe if their speech is slurred.
TIME. Time is of the essence. If any of these signs are present, call 911 immediately.

CDC added that stroke treatments work best if the illness is recognized and diagnosed within 3 hours of the first sign or symptom. Even if it is just a transient ischemic attack or “mini-stroke,” it is still best to call 911 and be treated immediately. A mini-stroke is most likely a sign of a more serious illness, so it’s best to have it diagnosed immediately.

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