Most people would be terrified before undergoing surgery, but not Dr. Deborah Cohan. She held a dance party there in the operating room right before she was scheduled to go under the knife at the University of California-San Francisco Medical Center at Mount Zion.

Cohan was diagnosed with breast cancer and was getting ready to have a double mastectomy. How did she talk the team of doctors and nurses to dance with her? Well, she is also affiliated with the hospital. Cohan is an OB-GYN who specializes in the treatment of pregnant women with HIV.

Not only did she convince the surgical staff to dance with her to Beyoncé’s “Get Me Bodied”, she had an entire dance mob planned and received pictures and videos from friends, family, and complete strangers dancing along with her. On her Caring Bridge journal, she asked everyone to participate saying, “My fantasy is for you to play the song and dance wherever you happen to be (in the kitchen, the carwash, subway platform [Dan!], classroom, Labor and Delivery unit, wherever!) — ideally at 7:30am but really anytime Tuesday. It would be extra remarkable if you could send me a photo (or, better yet, a short video segment) of you dancing. I have visions of a healing video montage. Nothing brings me greater joy than catalyzing others to dance, move, be in their bodies. Are you with me people?”

Cohan says she was less nervous about how the surgery would go than the dance mob. “I was more nervous about how the flash mob was going to go than how the surgery was going to go,” she said. The six-minute video was posted on YouTube and has already received over 250,000 views.

Thousands of people have commented on her story and say that she is truly an inspiration. One viewer wrote: “Deborah- the strength and vitality you have is an inspiration to us all- to get out there and “be” in our bodies and to enjoy it- and personally – girl – you have some killer moves- I wish you love,peace and light on your journey of recovering! You got this-” Another viewer said: “What a gift you are to this world. So grateful for your willingness to share your experience. You are a beautiful spirit and your children are so blessed. Looking forward to a follow up video far, far in the future when you’re a very old woman; I bet you’ll still have the moves! Speedy recovery and many thanks.”

Cohan was discharged from the hospital on Wednesday and is hoping for a speedy recovery so she can get back to the dance floor.

Image via Caringbridge.org