MILWAUKEE — Vivian King has been telling other peoples stories for decades, but in 2013 the former TMJ4 news anchor had no idea a medical scare would lead her to write her own story to share.
"A lot of people have said, you've just been so open about this story, and I said, I have to be, because I really think God spared me," recalls King.
At 49, King suffered a massive stroke while attending a luncheon with friends.
"Because the fact that I was in a room full of hundreds of people, many of whom knew me. I got immediate attention, and when you have a stroke, time is brain," King said.
A blood clot in her brain caused her to lose speech for 10 days and remain in the hospital for more than a month. The ordeal pushed her to write the book, "When the Words Suddenly Stopped - Finding My Voice Again After a Massive Stroke"
She recently won a literary award for the book she penned.
"I didn't really write the book to get an award, but I'm glad that the award has gotten some attention because I think the message needs to be out there," said King.
King was healthy and not a candidate for a stroke - until she learned taking birth control pills in her 40's was the reason.
"A lot of women have talked to their doctors after reading my book and talking to me about this. The birth control pills and the link to stroke,not enough people know about that," she said.
King now fully recovered, credits much of her healing to God.
"Prayer does change things. My doctor said, you know you're a miracle. So when a doctor tells you that, you know something else is going on," said King.
To learn more about King's book "When the Words Suddenly Stopped - Finding My Voice Again After a Massive Stroke" by clicking here.
