I recently watched a clip of Roger Ebert on Oprah. If you are unaware, Roger Ebert lost his jaw to thyroid cancer four years ago. His appearance is quite shocking. He is unable to speak, eat, or drink anything because he is pretty much missing half his face. The interview is quite moving and the fact that Roger is still an influential film critic and giving interviews is pretty incredible. He speaks through a computerized voice simulator, much like Stephen Hawking. By his side through the whole ordeal was his wife Chaz. A very touching moment in the interview was when Oprah asked him what his last spoken words were, and he said he can't remember but he hopes that they were telling his wife he loved her. Chaz obviously loves him very much and she gets very emotional when, because of a new computer program Ebert is working on to have the computerized voice sound like his own, she starts crying and says how incredible it is to hear his voice. I think many people in Roger Ebert's position would feel very hopeless and probably depressed. To have no control over getting cancer and having your jaw removed would probably make many people have the tendency to think that everything else in their lives will go wrong, or at least never be the same. I think it was important that Roger have the love and support of his family to help him recover and be cancer-free, but I think it was also important to him that he could keep his autonomy and continue to live and work as normally as he could.
Check out the interview, it's pretty amazing!
http://www.mahalo.com/roger-ebert-oprah
Check out the interview, it's pretty amazing!
http://www.mahalo.com/roger-ebert-oprah
Unfortunately I think the video has been taken off of that site...something about "due to terms of use violations" which is a bummer.
This is an inspiring story, I had NO idea about it. It brings hope and gives strength to people who may find out they have cancer, or some other disease they must battle through.
Here is another link that provides clips of the Oprah interview (I assume it is the same one). How neat though, after all he has been through he is still able to communicate in much the same way. Research and technology has advanced so much that it is his voice simulated through the computer. I don't fully understand the mechanics behind it, but from what I can see and hear from it I am amazed by our advances in technology.
I think it is also cool that after emotional or traumatic experiences how we perceive life and act in different ways. Inspiring stories like this are always good for reflection on your own life.
An inspiring story and of course glamorized by every tabloid out there, but thanks for sharing!
Unfortunately I think the video has been taken off of that site...something about "due to terms of use violations" which is a bummer.
This is an inspiring story, I had NO idea about it. It brings hope and gives strength to people who may find out they have cancer, or some other disease they must battle through.
http://gawker.com/5484096/roger-eberts-oprah-interview-makes-us-laugh-cry
Here is another link that provides clips of the Oprah interview (I assume it is the same one). How neat though, after all he has been through he is still able to communicate in much the same way. Research and technology has advanced so much that it is his voice simulated through the computer. I don't fully understand the mechanics behind it, but from what I can see and hear from it I am amazed by our advances in technology.
I think it is also cool that after emotional or traumatic experiences how we perceive life and act in different ways. Inspiring stories like this are always good for reflection on your own life.
An inspiring story and of course glamorized by every tabloid out there, but thanks for sharing!
I didn't have any idea either, but it is amazing how he is still living his life just that way he wants.
I don't think very many people would have such a positive outlook on life after such a traumatic thing happened. He is dealing with it with grace and class, and his wife is too. It shows how strong a bond can be between two people, when their strength is tested. I found another article about him and his wife. It talks about how they are using optimism as a way to cope with what has happened.
http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20362414,00.html