Why I Fundraise for Movember: For My Dad, and for Every Man We Love
I’ve been fundraising for Movember since 2018. Every year, I come back to this cause for the same reason: my dad is a prostate cancer survivor.
For me, Movember isn’t about statistics. It’s personal. It’s about my dad and the many fathers, husbands, brothers, sons, uncles, friends and colleagues whose lives can be changed by cancer or mental health challenges.
My dad’s experience taught me that awareness matters. Early detection matters. Research matters. And having someone beside you when you’re facing something frightening matters more than we sometimes realize.
My Dad’s Story
Cancer was just a word to my family until it wasn’t.
In 2015, my dad’s PSA levels began to rise and he was placed under active surveillance. We hoped everything would be okay. But late in 2016, his PSA jumped into double digits. A biopsy confirmed what none of us wanted to hear: prostate cancer.
I will never forget how my dad told me.
My normally stoic dad slipped it into a phone conversation as casually as if he were talking about the weather:
“Oh, by the way, dear, I have cancer. How are my grandsons?”
That was my dad. More concerned about everyone else than himself.
Like so many men, he didn’t want to make a fuss. He didn’t want us to worry, and he certainly didn’t want to show fear. But cancer is not something anyone should have to face alone.
So I became his advocate.
I went to appointments, took notes, asked questions, listened and walked alongside him through the uncertainty. There were countless visits with specialists, including urologists, oncologists and radiation therapists. There was waiting, worrying and hoping.
By July 2017, Dad was undergoing daily radiation treatments at Sunnybrook. Then, in February 2018, we finally received the news we had been praying for: his PSA had returned to normal.
The relief was enormous.
Unfortunately, cancer had another chapter in store for us. It returned.
But so did my dad’s determination.
He continues to be monitored, to explore treatment options and to face whatever comes next with the quiet courage that has always defined him. His journey hasn't been easy, and it isn't over.
But he's still here. Still fighting. Still Dad.
And that gives me hope.
Why I Keep Coming Back
Every Movember, I think about what might be possible if more men had access to earlier detection, better treatments, stronger mental health support and the confidence to speak up when something doesn’t feel right.
I think about the families sitting in doctors’ offices waiting for results.
I think about daughters like me trying to be strong for their dads.
And I think about how fortunate I am that I can still pick up the phone and hear my dad’s voice.
That is why I fundraise.
I fundraise with hope that research will lead to better treatments and better outcomes.
I fundraise because men need to know that looking after their physical and mental health is a sign of strength, not weakness.
I fundraise because behind every diagnosis is a person, a family and a story.
And I fundraise because I want more of those stories to end with the word survivor.
Will You Stand With Me?
If my dad’s story resonates with you, please consider supporting my Movember campaign.
Donate if you can. Share my page. Start a conversation. Encourage the men in your life to take their health seriously.
Every donation, no matter the amount, is part of something bigger. It represents hope for better prevention, earlier detection, better treatment and more time with the people we love.
I’ve been doing this since 2018, and I’ll keep doing it because this fight is personal.
For my dad. For your dad. For our sons, brothers, husbands, partners, uncles, friends and colleagues.
Here’s to courage. Here’s to perseverance. Here’s to hope.
And most importantly, here’s to more survivors.
Please donate and help me make a difference.
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