This man is on a mission to raise awareness about male breast cancer

Beating the Odds profiles people who despite their physical and health challenges, have pushed on to pursue their dreams and accomplish some incredible things. 

When Michael Singer was diagnosed with breast cancer in his 50s, he felt alone.

“My head exploded,” he told In The Know of his diagnosis. “Because I had never heard of it. I had never heard of men getting breast cancer.”

There are plenty of reasons for that reaction. Male breast cancer is incredibly rare — in fact, less than one percent of total cases occur in men, according to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

“[At first] I didn’t want to tell people that I had breast cancer because I wasn’t comfortable with it,” Singer told In The Know. “I still felt like a freak — I was embarrassed.”

But Singer learned to move past that embarrassment. Today, he’s made it his life mission to raise awareness and educate people about male breast cancer and how to detect it early.

Once he realized his passion for getting the word out, Singer’s wife told him that sharing his story was what he was “meant to do.” It’s a purpose that’s given him an inspiration in the years following his recovery.

“I wake up every morning with a song in my heart and a story to tell,” he told In The Know. “So I will just try to tell my story every day, and just try to support all of those people who every day live with breast cancer.”

If you liked this story, check out this previous episode of “Beating The Odds,” with style influencer Lauren “Lolo” Spencer.

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