FOR 15 YEARS MARK McEWEN FORECASTED THE WEATHER AND INTERVIEWED CELEBRITIES FOR AN AUDIENCE OF MILLIONS ON THE CBS EARLY SHOW.

Everyone who was anyone came through the show and you had a chance to touch them, to talk to them.

BUT IN 2004, MCEWEN LEFT BEHIND THE LIGHT-HEARTED BANTER AND HIGH PROFILE INTERVIEWS TO BECOME A NEWS ANCHOR IN ORLANDO.

THE LOCAL STATION PROMOTED THE NATIONAL CELEBRITY HEAVILY. BUT JUST AS HE SETTLED INTO HIS NEW ROLE, MCEWEN'S CAREER--AND LIFE--WERE ALMOST CUT SHORT.

HE WAS AT THE AIRPORT IN BALTIMORE, ABOUT TO RETURN TO FLORIDA AFTER VISITING FAMILY AND FRIENDS.

I remember I was in line to board the plane, something wasn't quite right. I went up to the counter and said "I don't feel well."

HE WAS TAKEN TO A HOSPITAL WHERE HE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH STOMACH FLU. HE STAYED AT A FRIEND'S HOUSE TO REST AND RETURNED TO THE AIRPORT A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER. AS THE PLANE BEGAN ITS DESCENT INTO ORLANDO, HE GOT WORSE.

When I landed, my balance was off and I couldn't talk.

AT FIRST NO ONE RECOGNIZED THAT MCEWEN WAS SERIOUSLY ILL. EVENTUALLY SOMEONE CALLED 911.

When I woke up, there was my father, my brother, my sister, my cousin, my best friend, all bedside, my bosses from the station. I thought "this is great." Then I thought, "this is bad."

MARK MCEWEN--WHO'D MADE HIS LIVING COMMUNICATING--HAD SUFFERED TWO STROKES. HIS SPEECH WAS NOTICEABLY AFFECTED.

The prognosis was maybe I would get some of what I had before back, maybe, but they couldn't be certain.

HE RETURNED HOME AFTER A MONTH IN THE HOSPITAL AND WITH A LONG RECOVERY AHEAD OF HIM.

Simple easy things that you take for granted before, I had to learn to do them again.

BESIDES HAVING DIFFICULTY SPEAKING, HE HAD TROUBLE USING HIS RIGHT HAND AND LEG.

When you have a stroke, a severe one, any one, the brain loses cells. And so rewiring the brain to do other things, things that a certain part of the brain used to do, can be done.

BUT IT'S PAINSTAKING WORK. IN ADDITION TO INTENSIVE REHAB, MARK USED HIS KIDS' TOYS TO HELP IMPROVE HIS FINE MOTOR SKILLS. HE REGAINED HIS ABILITY TO WALK UNAIDED. AND CONTINUES TO PRACTICE SPEAKING BY READING ALOUD.

MCEWEN WHO SPOKE SO FLUENTLY AS AN ANCHOR, HAS HAD TO WORK HARD TO REGAIN HIS VOICE.

My voice was high like Betty Boop and slow. And now since then it's gotten deeper and even though it's not the same as it was before the stroke, it's getting there.

AS AN AFRICAN AMERICAN, MCEWEN WAS AND IS AT INCREASED RISK FOR STROKE. TODAY, HE TRIES TO STACK THE DECK IN HIS FAVOR BY EATING RIGHT AND EXERCISING. HE WROTE A BOOK ABOUT HIS EXPERIENCE CALLED "AFTER THE STROKE."

AND NOW HE TRAVELS THE COUNTRY LENDING SUPPORT TO OTHER STROKE SURVIVORS AND RAISING AWARENESS OF THE WARNING SIGNS OF STROKE--AWARENESS HE DIDN'T HAVE THAT FIRST TRIP TO THE AIRPORT.

This new career, never wanted it, never knew about it. But F. Scott Fitzgerald said, there are no second acts. This is my beginning of my second act. And I think this act will be even more important than the first one because it touches people.