Mo Sista Nicole Bobb (and her sister Alicia)
"When my Dad, who lived in Trinidad, was eventually diagnosed (after numerous visits to the hospital) with prostate cancer in 2005, I think it was the first time I'd heard about the disease, though I now know that as many as 1 in 4 Black men in the UK will be diagnosed with it in their lifetimes. Due to late detection, he was hospitalised in a very short space of time. As a result, it was difficult to treat. My sister and I flew out to Trinidad, and went straight to the hospital. Nothing could have prepared us for what we saw; my Dad was just a shadow of his former self. We both started crying, but my sister as usual (being the eldest) took the lead and started praying for my Dad."
"During those two weeks we visited our Dad in the hospital daily. Trying to get answers from his physicians about the disease and possible treatment was challenging. We found that there was a lack of communication, care and inconsistencies with his diagnosis, which affected his treatment. The lack of clinical knowledge and specialised treatment left us confused and with feelings of abandonment. Leaving our Dad was the most difficult thing, but we both had responsibilities to return to in London and Eindhoven. Our family and friends took over his care."
"On the night we returned home, we got a call to say my Dad had passed away. The next day we were flying back to Trinidad to arrange his funeral. I quickly realised that life goes on and so I decided not to deal with my Dad's death. Years after in 2010, with a combination of anger and passion, I decided that I needed to do something to raise awareness of prostate cancer, and in doing so hopefully save lives. So I contacted Prostate Cancer UK (then The Prostate Cancer Charity) to enquire about being a volunteer. Within weeks I was on a training course on the 'Older and Wiser' project, set up to raise awareness in the African Caribbean community. This is one of the best decisions I have made. I am currently a Community Champion Volunteer and most recently a member of the PCUK Volunteer Programme Advisory Group."
"I reassure men and their families that help is available from PCUK by way of education, support and confidential advice via their helpline. The work that they do is invaluable. It's also great to see the outstanding work that Movember is doing to support men's health programmes that combat prostate cancer. I also love the fact that they recognised the important role women (wives, partners, sisters, daughters, female relatives, and friends) play through diagnosis, treatment, and recovery of their loved one. So I'm also proud to be a Mo Sista and you can be too."
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To help change the face of men's health donate here
Click here if you would like more information from Prostate Cancer UK.
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