MEET THE WOLFPACK - Q&A

Man Up to Cancer provides helpful content and community for men facing cancer, and the people who love them!

🔸 Name: Don Helgeson

🔸 Age: 54

🔸 Location: Nanaimo, BC, Canada

🔸 Occupation: Retired Canadian Mountie / Meetup Coordinator for Man Up to Cancer

🔸 Cancer Type: Survivor of malignant melanoma, colon cancer and prostate cancer.

Q: The Man Up to Cancer motto is OPEN HEART, WARRIOR SPIRIT. Which side of your personality could use more growth?

A: 100% warrior. There’s a possibility of a recurrence of my prostate cancer. I’ve been a fighter all my life but I may need to really ‘buckle the F up’ now.

Q: What are your top tools for coping with the psychological impacts of cancer (i.e. anxiety, depression, anger, isolation, etc.)?

A: I reach out to the incredible network of warriors that I’ve met over the past 3 1/2 years in The Howling Place and in the PC Tribe and in my local MUTC Chapter. I’m not afraid to be vulnerable and show my emotions. I’ve also made advocacy a huge priority.

I have my own web page to tell my story and to raise awareness. I don’t want another 50 year old man to learn that they have prostate cancer and also learn at the same time that there were steps that they could have been taken to identity and treat it sooner than I did.

Q: What’s one thing you know now, but wish you had learned earlier in the journey?

A: It’s okay to be vulnerable with other men. It’s okay to cry with other men. There is no need to tackle a cancer diagnosis on your own.

Q: If you could pick a “handle” for your wolf identity, what would it be, and why?

A. Cancer Cop. I’ve had cancer of one type or another for the majority of my policing career. I was 27 when I was diagnosed with malignant melanoma. I was 37 when I was diagnosed with CRC. I was 51 and retiring when I was diagnosed with PC. I plan on creating a podcast in the near future that will play off this handle and living with cancer as a cop.

Don Helgeson

J.J. Singleton

Chris Taylor