He Reached Out for Help—Our Wolfpack of 3,200 Answered

On January 10, 2025, Alex (left) lay in a Houston, Texas hospital bed, recovering from recent colorectal cancer surgery. He had just joined Man Up to Cancer’s Facebook community, The Howling Place, but hadn’t yet connected with his local Texas MUTC Chapter. Isolated and exhausted, he took a chance—he reached out to the 3,200 members in The Howling Place, asking if anyone could stop by for a visit. He needed support, and his spouse desperately needed a break after a grueling 24 hours.

What happened next was nothing short of extraordinary.

Immediately, the Howling Place brotherhood rallied around him. Messages of encouragement flooded in from across the world—texts, phone calls, video chats. But that wasn’t all. The Texas MUTC Chapter stepped up in force, adding Alex to their group and mobilizing to visit him in person.

That very night, James (right) left work and battled stormy weather, rush hour traffic, and the chaos of a Friday night just to sit by Alex’s side. He dropped everything—because that’s what a brother does. Two days later, James returned, this time with fellow pack member Bill, to be there when Alex was discharged from the hospital.

Three weeks later, Alex stood shoulder to shoulder with his Texas chapter brothers at a #WolfpackMeetup breakfast—no longer a stranger, but a part of the family.

This is the power of Man Up to Cancer. This is what our founder Trevor Maxwell meant when he created the motto: "Open Heart, Warrior Spirit."

This story was submitted and written by Don Helgeson, MUTC's Chapter and Meetup Coordinator. If interested in joining, please reach out at don@manuptocancer.org.

Together, we are all changing the way men face cancer.