Christian Roach is cancer-free, and he’s hoping his Christmas decorations will help others stay healthy too.
After surviving testicular cancer, the father of three used 750 lights to spell out “Check yr nuts” in an effort to raise awareness about the disease.
“The message with the lights is massive and really important to me,” Roach, 41, told the Independent.
In October 2018, the U.K. father began to notice pain in his testicles and decided to see a doctor. He was originally sent home with treatment, but his symptoms worsened over Christmas.
“I had cancer at Christmas last year but I had no idea,” Roach told the outlet. “I knew something was wrong and couldn’t properly enjoy Christmas. I am normally very bubbly but my mates and the family said I seemed off.”
The following January, he returned to his doctor and was diagnosed with testicular cancer. He immediately began chemotherapy, and three weeks later, he had surgery to remove one of his testicles. After the operation, Roach was declared cancer-free.
“It felt amazing to be given the all-clear so quickly,” he told the outlet. “It was a massive relief to get it sorted and I am so pleased I did the right thing to get it checked out.”
Prior to being diagnosed, Roach said he knew “very little about cancer,” but says that the key was catching it early.
“If you do [have cancer], there is a good chance it can be sorted,” he said. “I know it’s not nice going to the doctors and pulling out your private parts but it has got to be done.”
Roach hopes his Christmas decorations encourage other men to pay a visit to their doctors for a check-up.
“I just said this as a joke at first. But [my partner] Nicola loved the idea and we ran with it,” he said.
Roach told the Independent that since putting up the lights, several of his friends have reached out to tell him that they went to the doctor and got checked.
According to the American Cancer Society, testicular cancer is a rare form of the disease. They estimate that 1 in every 250 males will develop testicular cancer during their lifetimes. It primarily develops in young and middle-aged men, the average age being 33.
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