Charlie’s story is one of strength, resilience, and hope. In February last year, his life changed overnight when a small lump turned out to be something far more serious.  An aggressive form of testicular cancer that had already spread to his abdominal lymph nodes. What followed were nine gruelling weeks of chemotherapy, countless hospital visits, and determination to get through it. 

Fast forward to today, and Charlie is now 15 months cancer free which is a milestone worth celebrating. His journey reminds us not only of the power of early detection and the importance of listening to your body and knowing the symptoms and signs to look out for.  

Testicular cancer is an uncommon cancer, but it’s the most common cancer in young men aged 15 to 45, with the average age at diagnosis around 37. The good news is that for most people, it’s highly treatable when caught early, thanks to live saving research like that conducted by the Australian and New Zealand Urogenital and Prostate (ANZUP) Cancer Trials Group. Unfortunately, around 40 Australians every year will die from more aggressive and harder-to-treat forms of the disease. Many more will live with undesirable side effects from treatment, which include fertility issues, sexual dysfunction, anxiety, fatigue and body image concerns. This is why awareness and research are so vital. 

Every dollar raised will help support life-changing testicular cancer research that improves not only survival rates, but also the quality of life for men like Charlie.