Beloved Louisiana TV anchor Donna Britt dies from ALS at age 62
Donna Britt, a longtime Louisiana news anchor and beloved Baton Rouge community member, died Thursday from ALS. She was 62.
Britt worked at Baton Rouge CBS affiliate WAFB for 38 years before retiring in 2018. She died Thursday morning at her home surrounded by family, according to the station.
Britt joined WAFB in 1981 after the station’s director heard her voice while she was working as a radio DJ, brought her in for a camera test and hired her on the spot.
She and co-anchor George Sells became the most-watched local news team at 6 p.m. and 10 p.m., the New Orleans Advocate reported.
Britt shared her diagnosis with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, on the air July 27, 2017.
“For the last nine months, doctors have tried to diagnose it, however, many of the symptoms are the same for other diseases,” Britt told viewers. “But three days of testing at Houston Methodist Hospital have removed doubts. So, now I know what’s been paralyzing muscles all over my body all these months and shows no signs of stopping.”
She signed off for the last time June 13, 2018.
Along with being a trusted news source, Britt was active in the Baton Rouge community, donating her time and money to many local and national charities.
“She was one of those … unique individuals who didn’t just show up but showed up and gave everything she had everywhere she went,” local Salvation Army member Brett Meredith told the Advocate. “It was never a matter of checking the box for her. She just wanted to make sure that everyone felt valued in what they did.”
Britt is survived by her husband, Mark Ballard, son Louie and daughter Annie.
