READ MORE: Delivering a dramatic difference
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PROSTATE cancer awareness champions David Parkin and Rob Glover are taking all they have learned in working with Ballarat to help men across Australia.
Male Bag Foundation played a key role in helping to deliver Ballarat a transperineal grid prostate biopsy machine, the first in an Australian public hospital.
Mr Glover, the foundation’s chairman, said it was in fundraising with Ballarat Health Services and prostate care nurse Gay Corbett that opened Male Bag eyes to how much difference the less invasive machine could make.
“We’ll take that knowledge and push it out across Australia now,” Mr Glover said. “We want more of these state-of-the-art machines to get around the country.”
Mr Glover and Mr Parkin, Male Bag’s Patron, delivered 150 drink bottles to men undergoing radiation.
The 750-millilitre bottles is a standard measure for men to drink before treatment, rather than guessing with three glasses of water.
BHS chief executive officer Dale Fraser said Male Bag’s ongoing support for Ballarat was “phenomenal”.
“The thing that’s really important it that it’s not only money, but community awareness that they’re gathering on their bikes,” Mr Fraser said.
“Prostate cancer is a very large killer of men...preemptive checks are really important and it’s also important to know if they do have prostate cancer, there are lots of treatment options.”
Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia has renewed funding for Ms Corbett’s care role with BHS for a further three years. Mr Fraser said this was vital in support and education for men, their partners and family, in ongoing care.
Male Bag has raised more than $84,000 for Ballarat Health Services prostate cancer treatment.
The foundation’s next major ride, on their iconic postman motorbikes, will be in country New South Wales next year with the aim to deliver enough funding for a transperineal grid prostate biopsy machine to Orange or Dubbo.
Male Bag Foundation culture is to deliver equipment to the communities in which it raises money.
Details: themalebagfoundation.org.au