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.