A CANCER sufferer has encouraged local men to not delay and contact their doctor if they notice any health issues, as early detection ‘saves lives’.
Paul Baron from Carrybridge wants to raise awareness about the importance of early diagnosis as it has given him every chance to overcome testicular cancer.
“I had no symptoms whatsoever, but one day I checked myself in the shower and knew something didn’t seem right. After having tests done, I was told I had testicular cancer,” he explained.
“The tumour was removed but the cancer spread to my lymph nodes, so now I have to do chemotherapy.
“It was devastating news at first, but the good thing was that because I was diagnosed early, my cancer is at stage one. It’s so important for men especially to not ignore the warning signs. It saves lives.”
A keen footballer, Mr Baron, 45, has played for Ballinamallard United, Loughgall, Dungannon Swifts and Lisbellaw United.
“I played at Dungannon with Ryan McCluskey, Shane McCabe and Mark McConkey,” he explained.
“I’ve always kept fit so getting cancer at my age was a shock, but I just want to highlight that this can happen to men of all ages. Don’t ignore the symptoms.”
Mr Baron, 45, works for a private security firm and had hoped to be back at his job a few weeks after his surgery, however, his chemotherapy treatment will mean he’ll be off indefinitely for months.
He started his 12 weeks of chemotherapy on Monday and, on top of that, the cost-of-living crisis is also affecting his family.
“My wife Tracey works part-time at Bright Eyes Animal Sanctuary, but I can’t work now for the foreseeable future and I’ve four children, so it’s tough financially,” he said.
For this reason, a GoFundMe page has been set up for Mr Baron and his family.
“I wasn’t for doing it at first, but friends told me not to be proud and that people only want to help,” he explained.
To donate go to: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-the-lovely-baron-family?.
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