Longtime Atlanta news anchor Jovita Moore dies after battle with brain cancer

Jovita Moore, an award-winning news anchor at WSB-TV in Atlanta died Thursday, seven months after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer.

Moore, who was 53, was with WSB-TV since 1998. Prior to joining the station, she worked at WMC-TV in Memphis and KFSM in Fayetteville, Arkansas and Fort Smith Arkansas. 

Moore received several Emmy Awards during her career at WSB-TV in Atlanta and covered decades of major news events, including former President Barack Obama's inauguration in 2009. 

The longtime journalist was diagnosed with glioblastoma earlier this year. She went to a doctor in April after feeling forgetful and disoriented, including describing feeling faint in a grocery store parking lot. 

“I was really concerned about why all of a sudden I was forgetful, disoriented and just not feeling myself. Feeling like I was in a fog and really wanting to get out of that fog,” Moore said earlier this year. 

Doctors discovered that she had two small masses in her brain, and she underwent surgery to remove them. Treatment can slow the brain cancer's progression, but a cure for glioblastoma is often not possible. 

Moore's death prompted an outpouring of mourning and support on social media. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms shared in a statement on Twitter that her family is "deeply saddened by the loss of our friend." 

"Even those who did not know her personally felt a deep and personal connection to Jovita," the mayor shared. 

Rev. Bernice King, the CEO of the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, shared that Moore "was a tremendous blessing to metro Atlanta and the world." 

Filmmaker Tyler Perry, whose Tyler Perry Studios is located in Atlanta, shared on Twitter that "I will miss your beautiful smile and warm laughter, let alone seeing you in my living room everyday." 

Reporters from WSB-TV and other outlets also shared their memories of Moore on social media. 

Moore is survived by her mother, her two children and her stepdaughter. 

Glioblastoma is an aggressive form of cancer that occurs in the brain or spinal cord, according to the Mayo Clinic. Though it can occur at any age, it is more common among older adults. 

Glioblastomas represent approximately 15% of all primary brain tumors, according to the American Brain Tumor Association. Primary brain tumors are tumors that begin developing in the brain. 

Contributing: Mike Snider, USA TODAY, The Associated Press.