An inspiring North Carolina couple, Ray and Roslyn Singleton, got the attention of Ellen DeGeneres’ team after a video of Ray sweetly serenading Roslyn before she went in for brain cancer surgery went viral online. The video showcases Ray’s vocal chops, and shows Roslyn with a shaved head, in preparation for surgery, grooving along with him.
The clip warmed the hearts of the masses, and when they appeared on “The Ellen Show” they were told their Valentine’s Day dinner would be on the show. Even more excitingly for them, Honey Nut Cheerios donated $25,000 to the couple. They also got a personalized message, sending love and admiration, from former NBA star Duane Wade.
Roslyn explained that her January surgery was actually her second bout with brain cancer. She was diagnosed for the first time in 2013.
“It was stage 3 the first time,” Roslyn said. “And the tumor was the size of an orange.”
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She explained that she experienced a handful of symptoms — such as migraines and blurred vision — but she didn’t necessarily think anything was wrong. Because she was young, she said, she didn’t think she needed to go to the doctor. It was urging from her father that eventually convinced her to get checked out.
“So, they said let’s do an MRI and they came back and told me, ‘It’s an orange on your brain,'” Roslyn said. She went on to explain that after getting the initial tumor removed, she had cancer-free scans for six years. The second tumor was discovered during a routine check. This one, Roslyn said, was about the size of a silver dollar.
After getting the second tumor removed with surgery, Roslyn will soon begin radiation and then chemotherapy, she told Degeneres.
Throughout the whole interview, the couple was all smiles, nearly glowing with positivity.
“You’re gonna beat this because you have an amazing attitude,” Degeneres said.
Positivity & Prayer When Battling Cancer
Roslyn explained that she’s able to maintain her attitude because she believes in the power of positive prayer.
In a previous interview with SurvivorNet, Dr. Zuri Murrell, Director of the Cedars-Sinai Colorectal Cancer Center, said that he notices a real difference in how his patient’s handle treatment when they approach it with positivity.
Dr. Zuri Murrell told SurvivorNet that he sees a real difference in how patients respond to treatment when they live with gratitude
“People often ask me about prayer in terms of therapy,” Dr. Murrell said. “I believe that prayer is very helpful. But also, in some patients who don’t believe in prayer, I believe that a positive attitude is what’s really important … for a lot of people, prayer helps them develop this.”
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