Sarah May Philo, a school teacher and amateur comedian from Glasglow, Scottland, UK displayed exemplary courage and positivity while undergoing a brain surgery. Sarah, who was kept awake during the operation, cracked jokes, sang opera songs and chatted with the doctors instead of getting nervous or scared. As per a report in Daily Mail, Sarah had a tumour growing in her brain for the last 15 years, most of which was extracted during a nine-hour-long surgery.

They were successful in removing 85 percent of the tumour from her brain. Recently, a team of Mumbai doctors removed the world’s largest brain tumour. After a scan at the Glasgow's Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, it was revealed that she had a huge cancerous brain tumour called an oligodendroglioma.  Oligodendrogliomas are a type of tumour which starts in the brain and is the third most common form of glioma – the main type of brain cancer.

In an interview, she said that she was given the choice of either being put to sleep or staying awake and she chose the latter. After a passing comment during the operation which made the doctors laugh, she was motivated to crack more jokes. On being encouraged by a speech therapist during the surgery, Sarah, a trained opera singer, made up songs about the staff.  She said, "the speech therapist asked if I could do some singing during the surgery so I started making up songs about her, the surgeons, and the anaesthetist on the spot." Describing her experience she said it was just like ”being in a cafe with your mates”.  She, in fact, has also named her tumour Rodger.

Sarah is now engaged to marry her partner Paul next year. The news of tumour came as a shock to Sarah herself. She only got to know of it on her way in an ambulance in December 2017, after having a seizure in her sleep.

Here's a glimpse of her surgery:

Sarah shared that she is now back in school, where she is a teacher, and people are asking her about her bald head. After the life-saving surgery, she is happy and looking forward to her wedding next year. Sarah's story is one of great courage and truly sets an example for everyone to learn to be positive and brave in the toughest of situations.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 27, 2018 01:49 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).