Longtime anchor Karen Swensen on stepping away from her TV career to find a new purpose: "Just trust the universe"

When WWL-TV anchor Karen Swensen decided to retire from the New Orleans local TV station, she paid tribute to a long list of people whose stories she told. 

The award-winning journalist had been at the station for years—going through hardships of her own. 

In late 2000, doctors found a benign tumor in Swensen's uterus. She had surgery six weeks before her wedding and was told by doctors that she may never have children. Medical advances helped change that when she gave birth to a daughter.