On Camera and Off
Both on camera and off, Lisa Thomas-Laury’s life seemed perfect—a glamorous job on television, a loving and successful husband, two great kids. She was a trendsetter, one of the first African American women to anchor TV news in a large U.S. city, and her work put her in touch with celebrities ranging from Ronald Reagan and Ted Kennedy to Oprah Winfrey and Princess Diana. Within a few years at Philadelphia’s Action News, she became one of the most popular local TV anchors in the country.

Then Lisa received news that wasn’t so good. The strange pains she’d noticed in her feet and ankles might signal a rare, crippling and potentially deadly disease. Her doctors disagreed about the exact diagnosis, and as they tried one treatment after another, her symptoms worsened. To search for an answer, Lisa took a leave from Channel 6. There was no time to waste. If her disease was the one with the odd name, POEMS syndrome, her life expectancy could be short.

Eventually, Lisa sought help at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, where she found that she did have POEMS. She also learned the treatment for this plasma cell disorder—a grueling bone marrow transplant.

These harrowing experiences couldn’t help but change Lisa’s outlook on life. When she returned to Action News, she focused on stories of ordinary people overcoming obstacles and illnesses. She also made a point of giving back to the community by working with nonprofit groups and Mayo patients.

On Camera and Off tells the story of Lisa’s remarkable journey. She never gave up and never lost hope. “I remembered always the words of Alice Walker, author of The Color Purple: ‘There are all these terrible things that can actually happen to us, and yet life is so incredibly magical and abundant and present that we can still be very happy. Takes a lot of work. But you can still be happy.
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On Camera and Off
Both on camera and off, Lisa Thomas-Laury’s life seemed perfect—a glamorous job on television, a loving and successful husband, two great kids. She was a trendsetter, one of the first African American women to anchor TV news in a large U.S. city, and her work put her in touch with celebrities ranging from Ronald Reagan and Ted Kennedy to Oprah Winfrey and Princess Diana. Within a few years at Philadelphia’s Action News, she became one of the most popular local TV anchors in the country.

Then Lisa received news that wasn’t so good. The strange pains she’d noticed in her feet and ankles might signal a rare, crippling and potentially deadly disease. Her doctors disagreed about the exact diagnosis, and as they tried one treatment after another, her symptoms worsened. To search for an answer, Lisa took a leave from Channel 6. There was no time to waste. If her disease was the one with the odd name, POEMS syndrome, her life expectancy could be short.

Eventually, Lisa sought help at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, where she found that she did have POEMS. She also learned the treatment for this plasma cell disorder—a grueling bone marrow transplant.

These harrowing experiences couldn’t help but change Lisa’s outlook on life. When she returned to Action News, she focused on stories of ordinary people overcoming obstacles and illnesses. She also made a point of giving back to the community by working with nonprofit groups and Mayo patients.

On Camera and Off tells the story of Lisa’s remarkable journey. She never gave up and never lost hope. “I remembered always the words of Alice Walker, author of The Color Purple: ‘There are all these terrible things that can actually happen to us, and yet life is so incredibly magical and abundant and present that we can still be very happy. Takes a lot of work. But you can still be happy.
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On Camera and Off

On Camera and Off

by Thomas-Laury Lisa
On Camera and Off

On Camera and Off

by Thomas-Laury Lisa

Hardcover

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Overview

Both on camera and off, Lisa Thomas-Laury’s life seemed perfect—a glamorous job on television, a loving and successful husband, two great kids. She was a trendsetter, one of the first African American women to anchor TV news in a large U.S. city, and her work put her in touch with celebrities ranging from Ronald Reagan and Ted Kennedy to Oprah Winfrey and Princess Diana. Within a few years at Philadelphia’s Action News, she became one of the most popular local TV anchors in the country.

Then Lisa received news that wasn’t so good. The strange pains she’d noticed in her feet and ankles might signal a rare, crippling and potentially deadly disease. Her doctors disagreed about the exact diagnosis, and as they tried one treatment after another, her symptoms worsened. To search for an answer, Lisa took a leave from Channel 6. There was no time to waste. If her disease was the one with the odd name, POEMS syndrome, her life expectancy could be short.

Eventually, Lisa sought help at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, where she found that she did have POEMS. She also learned the treatment for this plasma cell disorder—a grueling bone marrow transplant.

These harrowing experiences couldn’t help but change Lisa’s outlook on life. When she returned to Action News, she focused on stories of ordinary people overcoming obstacles and illnesses. She also made a point of giving back to the community by working with nonprofit groups and Mayo patients.

On Camera and Off tells the story of Lisa’s remarkable journey. She never gave up and never lost hope. “I remembered always the words of Alice Walker, author of The Color Purple: ‘There are all these terrible things that can actually happen to us, and yet life is so incredibly magical and abundant and present that we can still be very happy. Takes a lot of work. But you can still be happy.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781680980097
Publisher: Camino Books, Incorporated
Publication date: 10/15/2017
Product dimensions: 5.60(w) x 8.60(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Lisa Thomas-Laury, a native of West Virginia, began working at WPVI-TV, Philadelphia’s ABC affiliate, as a reporter and co-anchor for Action News. The year was 1978, and she was 24. Five years later, Lisa was promoted to co-anchor of the 5 p.m. newscast, holding that position until 2003. She was the first African-American woman to anchor in the Philadelphia market. Lisa retired in 2016, having spent nearly four decades with WPVI.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Chapter 1 A Little Yellow Colored Girl 3

Chapter 2 Television Wants Me 9

Chapter 3 Life Throws Me a Curve 35

Chapter 4 A Mysterious Illness 49

Chapter 5 Be Your Own Advocate 55

Chapter 6 Where Do I Go from Here? 71

Chapter 7 Mayo, Here I Come 81

Chapter 8 Poems, No Rhyme or Reason 89

Chapter 9 Marvelous Mayo 95

Chapter 10 The Struggle to Return to Work 111

Chapter 11 Back on the Job 127

Chapter 12 Disappointing News from Mayo 147

Chapter 13 Living with a Chronic Illness 153

Acknowledgments 157

A Note on Resources 159

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