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RALEIGH, N.C. — A local TV legend in North Carolina stunned his viewers recently with a heartbreaking message: He has ALS.

WTVD news anchor Larry Stogner made the announcement during a newscast last week.

“I am sure that in recent months, you’ve noticed a change in my voice, my speech, slower,” he said. “Many of you were kind enough to email me ideas about what it might be, or just to show concern, and I truly appreciate that. As it turns out, I have ALS, Lou Gehrig’s disease.”

Stogner added that his career in broadcast journalism is coming to an end.

ALS, or Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a disease of the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control voluntary muscle movement.

WTVD is an ABC affiliate serving the areas of Durham, Raleigh and Chapel Hill. Stogner was been with the station for nearly 40 years. He took part in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge over the summer.

Watch Stogner’s announcement in the video above.