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A news anchor for the Tulsa, Oklahoma NBC news affiliate KJRH said she suffered the "beginnings of a stroke" during a live broadcast on Saturday morning.
In a clip circulating online, news journalist Julie Chin could be seen having difficulty verbalizing as she was reading from the teleprompter about an event celebrating the launch of Artemis 1–the name of the system that would enable a planned uncrewed Moon-orbiting mission.
Sensing something was way off as she stumbled through her reporting, Chin tossed the segment over to the meteorologist and apologized to viewers.
You can see the clip shared by the Senior Executive at NBCUniversal, Mike Sington, here.
\u201cTulsa news anchor Julie Chin has the beginnings of a stroke live on the air. She knew something was wrong, so tossed it to the meteorologist, as her concerned colleagues called 911. She\u2019s fine now, but wanted to share her experience to educate viewers on stroke warning signs.\u201d— Mike Sington (@Mike Sington) 1662402270
Julie Chin explained in a Facebook post that the episode came out of nowhere, and she broke down what she was experiencing during that frightening moment.
"I felt great before our show. However, over the course of several minutes during our newscast, things started to happen."
"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."
"If you were watching Saturday morning, you know how desperately I tried to steer the show forward, but the words just wouldn’t come."
\u201c@MikeSington So damn scary.\u2764\ufe0f\ud83d\udc94\u201d— Mike Sington (@Mike Sington) 1662402270
\u201c@MikeSington Holy crap, that is so scary but what a relief she was cognizant enough to know something was wrong.\u201d— Mike Sington (@Mike Sington) 1662402270
Thanks to her team recognizing the possible emergency situation, they immediately called 911.
\u201cFollow up: Julie Chin has posted this photo from the hospital where she\u2019s recovering from a stroke. She\u2019s doing well, and expects to be back at work soon. She sends thanks to her work colleagues who saw what was happening and called for help immediately. Love you @JulieChin!\u201d— Mike Sington (@Mike Sington) 1662402270
Chin went on to say she spent the last few days in the hospital where she had undergone "all sorts of tests."
"I’m thankful for the emergency responders and medical professionals who have shared their expertise, hearts, and smiles with me."
"My family, friends, and KJRH family have also covered me in love and covered my shifts."
"My Dad jokes this is the first extended period of time I’ve spent by myself since my son was born, and he’s right."
She assured viewers that everything was okay and that her tests "have all come back great."
\u201c@MikeSington Julie and the station staff handled that the right way. I\u2019m glad she got treatment right away; it\u2019s the difference between suffering the beginnings of a stroke and a full-blown stroke and even permanent paralysis.\u201d— Mike Sington (@Mike Sington) 1662402270
She added:
"At this point, Doctors think I had the beginnings of a stroke, but not a full stroke."
"There are still lots of questions, and lots to follow up on, but the bottom line is I should be just fine."
The video prompted others to share their stroke-related experiences.
\u201c@MikeSington I had something similar when I was in the classroom teaching, but it wasn't a stroke, it was something called an ocular migraine. A flash of light or a reflection off a car mirror can trigger it. I was talking jibberish and knew something was wrong. JULIE, ask your Dr about it!\u201d— Mike Sington (@Mike Sington) 1662402270
\u201c@MikeSington A co-worker and a good friend came in to work, and I looked at her and asked if her face looked droopy when she left home. Asked her to smile, lift her arms, and to say some multi syllable words (learned from some PSA).\n\nThen told her to clock out and head to ER. It was stroke.\u201d— Mike Sington (@Mike Sington) 1662402270
\u201c@MikeSington My daughter was teaching a class of co-workers, policy changes. Her co-workers said she started having trouble remembering what she was going to say, felt tired, & was going to take a 15 min break. A co-worker (ex-EMT) asked to talk to her, gave her an evaluation & said call 911.\u201d— Mike Sington (@Mike Sington) 1662402270
\u201c@MikeSington (2017) A serious stroke: blocked artery in her neck. She was doing pretty well until the clot-buster: One of the 6% that have a hemorrhagic stroke from it. 5 days in ICU, a few wks in hospital, 3 mos in rehabilitation hospital. \nRecovered speech; some permanent physical damage.\u201d— Mike Sington (@Mike Sington) 1662402270
\u201c@MikeSington As I get older and living alone, I sometimes think about life alert. For real.\u201d— Mike Sington (@Mike Sington) 1662402270
Chin shared with viewers that recognizing that someone suffering a stroke is not always obvious and that taking action is critical.
"This acronym helps identify the symptoms to look for:"
"BE FAST and then if needed, be fast and call 911."
"B.alance (Sudden loss of balance)E.yes (Sudden vision changes)"
"F.ace (Facial droop)"
"A.rms (One arm drifts downward)"
"S.peech (Slurred/confused speech)"
"T.ime & Terrible headache."
\u201c@MikeSington Everyone should know the signs. My mother had a stroke in 2020, recognized the signs and got immediate medical attention. She's OK now and is the inspiration for me to leave the bright lights and big paychecks of the entertainment world to become an Occupational Therapist\u201d— Mike Sington (@Mike Sington) 1662402270
\u201c@MikeSington Praying for you @JulieChin thank you for your strength to want to allow this to be shared because people can read the signs of a stroke but until you physically see it, it could be way too late. Thanks for thinking of others in such a scary moment. \u2764\ufe0f Heroes can be Anchors!\u201d— Mike Sington (@Mike Sington) 1662402270
She thanked concerned viewers for their support to conclude her update.
Chin added that she would return to the desk in a few days to continue sharing more stories with the community she loves.