WFIU kicks of our annual fund drive this Friday with a special guest: neuroanatomist Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor.

She'll be joining us for Noon Edition to talk about her experiences, the importance of public radio, and taking your calls and questions.

Dr. Taylor experienced a severe hemorrhage in the left hemisphere of her brain in 1996. On the afternoon of this rare form of stroke (AVM), she could not walk, talk, read, write, or recall any of her life. It took eight years for Dr. Jill to completely recover all of her functions and thinking ability.

She is the author of the New York Times bestselling memoir "My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist’s Personal Journey" and was chosen as one of TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World for 2008.

In addition, Dr. Jill was the premiere guest on Oprah’s Soul Series webcast and her interview with Oprah and Dr. Oz on the Oprah Winfrey Show.

WFIU Radio is offering an autographed copy of Dr. Taylor’s book as our “Thank-you” for listeners who make a contribution at or above the $90 level.