The Corvins — a family of five plus pets — were filmed last May for "Oprah's Big Give." Skylar Corvin (from left), who has a rare bone cancer, is a big focus in the lives of mom Marcy, brother Logan Corvin, dad Chris Corvin and brother Mason.

ERIC BRADY The Roanoke Times

Skylar Corvin's story reached millions of people Sunday after Roanoker Cameron Johnson chose her and her family as his "project."

Photos by ERIC BRADY The Roanoke Times

Skylar Corvin (left) and brother Logan play with their dog, Rudy, on the new furniture the family received.

The camera crews left last spring, but reality TV's touch lingers at one house on Roanoke's Arbor Avenue.

The pink bedroom is still there, with the stars on the wall. The white car is still parked in front. The living room furniture is gone, replaced with a sturdier set that can handle a busy family of five and its collection of dogs, cats and ferrets.

And Skylar Corvin, a 12-year-old who has a rare bone cancer, is still fighting.

"There are days that, if it wasn't for her hair being gone, you wouldn't know she was sick," said dad, Chris Corvin. But mom, Marcy Corvin, emphasized, "This battle's not over by any means."

Skylar's story reached 9 million viewers on Sunday's episode of "Oprah's Big Give" when a contestant from Roanoke, Cameron Johnson, chose her as his hometown "project." Johnson is one of three finalists on the reality show, which gives its cast cash and a mission to "make a real difference" in the lives of strangers.

The Corvin's "Big Give" segment was filmed last May. In three days, production crews swooped in and the family was swept off to dinner and "Spider-Man 3." On the third day, they returned to their home at the foot of Mill Mountain to a list of surprises: a new Ford Fusion and a first-floor makeover, one check to cover the year's rent and another check for $10,000 to pay off the bills.

It was a reality show moment, full of tears and relief, for a family with an aging van and mounting debt. "You guys have erased stress from my life," Chris Corvin told the cameras, wiping his cheek.

But 11 months later, local folks may ask: How's Skylar?

"Fine," she said Tuesday morning, shortly after rising from bed. "I'm not really tired. I'm just doing well."

She continues with regular chemotherapy to treat the tumors in both of her legs, her father explained. Ewing's Sarcoma is an aggressive disease with a bleak prognosis, he said, but treatments seem to be stabilizing the cancer.

Tumors had first appeared in Skylar's right shoulder blade at the end of 2004. The bone was removed, making simple lifting tasks impossible. "We thought we were in remission," Chris Corvin said. In the fall of 2006, Skylar complained of leg pains and a bone scan showed that the cancer had crept to her knees.

She left James Madison Middle School and started being home schooled. Marcy Corvin quit her job at Ancient Art Tattoo to care for her daughter full time. The family's new car has logged 10,000 miles, driving Skylar to treatments across the state.

But she remains spunky and upbeat. She dyed her hair purple and pink before it fell out. She plans on getting a tattoo when she is 18, though she won't reveal of what. She loves roller coasters. And Skylar has carefully watched and re-watched her episode of the "Big Give," looking for familiar faces.

Sunday night, she will be rooting for the hometown boy, of course, when the "Big Give" concludes with a $1 million payout to the winner. Johnson, a dot-com millionaire before he graduated from Patrick Henry High School, worked his local connections into larger gifts for the Corvins on last week's episode.

Callie Dalton, a Roanoke real estate agent, gave the family $5,000 for rent. Elaine Stephenson, an interior designer, guided a first-floor makeover that turned Skylar's bedroom from white to pink (Skylar's favorite color) and brought new furniture to the living room. With the donations, Johnson turned the $10,000 he started the project with over to the family.

Tuesday afternoon, the Corvins gathered in their living room. They are a sociable family, with a house that buzzes with two younger sons, Logan and Mason, along with their pets.

They struggled to keep their secret, they said, the rules of reality TV preventing them from giving a public thank you to the community. Or telling everyone they were going to be on "Oprah's Big Give."

"People who didn't know said, 'What happened to Skylar's room?' " Chris Corvin said. " 'Where'd the new car come from?' "

"People looked at you like a common criminal," Marcy Corvin said with a chuckle. Then there was Chris Corvin's trip to the bank to deposit the check for $10,000.

"That was a big 'Where did this come from?' "