After battling thyroid cancer, film critic Roger Ebert who had cancerous cells removed and the cancer finally necessitated the removal of his right jaw—Ebert lost his ability to speak. However, with the use of a prosthetic, which he wrote about for the Chicago Sun-Times, Ebert has been able to recreate the lower part of his face and uses the prosthetic for some shots of his new television show.
The silicone prosthetic, which was created specifically for Ebert by a team of doctors from the Milwaukee area is composed of silicone and is similar to prosthetics used to recreate limbs for children.
Ebert acknowledges that many know his condition and that the prosthetic won’t fool too many people, but says, “Symbolically, it’s as if my illness never happened and, hey, here I still am, on the show with these new kids.”
