‘If the doctors are right, I’m probably done telling you about the weather’: Local weather reporter reveals ALS diagnosis on air
Longtime weather reporter reveals career-ending diagnosis on-air
- Longtime meteorologist Jeriann Ritter, 49, has publicly confirmed her diagnosis of bulbar amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
- The diagnosis, announced in an on-air interview, is career-ending for Ritter, who has worked at NBC affiliate WHO 13 in Des Moines, Iowa, for 20 years.
- Bulbar ALS primarily affects speech, swallowing, and breathing, and doctors have said there is currently no treatment or cure for the neurodegenerative disease.
- Ritter's symptoms, including changes in her speech, began in October, with viewers noticing and commenting on them by November.
- Despite the challenging news, Ritter expressed her determination to 'live and love' and encouraged others to be thankful for their lives.
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