A group of handyman hubbies have chipped in to help out a widow and her kids who prematurely lost their dad to prostate cancer.
More than 25,000 Australian men were diagnosed with prostate cancer last year, making it the number one diagnosed cancer in Australia.
Mike Berton was just 50 when he found he was urinating too often and went off for a simple PSA blood test.
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By the time the devoted family man was diagnosed with cancer, it was already outside his prostate and there was nothing specialists could do except to try to slow the spread.
Within 22 months, he became one of the 10 Aussie men who die every day from prostate cancer.
His 18-year-old daughter Beth will never forget the day, three years ago, she lost her dad.
“I remember holding his hand and it was very weak and his face was just unrecognisable,” she said.
Her 16-year-old brother Kai said he misses having “someone there to talk to”.
Wife Jen said she did her best to shield the kids from her husband’s declining condition.
“When he started getting worse and worse, it was very hard to watch and hard for the kids and hard all around I think,” she said.
“This big strong man, just a prisoner in his own body.”
She encouraged men to get tested earlier in life, believing her husband may still be here today had he done the same.
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Currently, Aussie men are recommended to get tested every two years from the age of 50 to 69, or from 40 for those with a family history of prostate cancer.
“Had he got to it earlier, absolutely would have beaten it,” she said.
“I feel as though if it was put on the radar sooner, you can check those markers, I mean women get poked and prodded, you know, at a very young age.”
Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia chairman Steve Callister had no symptoms when he was diagnosed with the disease at 54.
He also implored men to get tested.
“It’s an easy blood test, it’s not invasive in any way,” he said.
For the past few years, the foundation has teamed up with property maintenance company Hire a Hubby to raise not only money, but awareness of the disease.
Brendan Green set up Hire a Hubby nearly 30 years ago, managing to raise $1 million by donating just a couple of dollars per invoice.
“If you look at our network of franchisees, we’re a big group of blokes and a lot of them are in that at-risk age group,” Green said.
“The unfortunate thing with prostate cancer is that it creates widows.”
Today a team of hubbies turned up at the Bertons’ to lend a hand with plumbing, electrical, repairs and heavy lifting.
“Amazing, I was just blown away with the initiative,” Mrs Berton said.
For the Berton family, life goes on but the memories will never fade.
“It won’t never not be tough, you know what I mean,” Beth said.
“Some days are easier … that’s just how grief works, you know, people think that it just stops but it doesn’t stop.”