Baring nearly all in memory of our friend

This is a touching story and slightly out of the usual 'performingmales' vein. However there is an upside to this story: a calendar...:-)


"North Wales


Baring nearly all in memory of our friend

Jul 20 2006

By Eryl Crump, Daily Post


FRIENDS of a 23-year-old man who died from cancer are to pose naked for a calendar and raise cash in his memory.

The lads will be pictured in various sporting shots to raise money for cancer charities. Mark Jones of YWern, Wrexham, died last month after a brave three-year battle against testicular cancer.

After his funeral, mum Julie vowed to do all she could to make sure another life is not lost in the same way. She launched the Mark Jones Testicular Cancer Awareness Fund, also known as Balls 2 Cancer, to raise money and increase knowledge about the killer disease.

"The calendar is one way of raising money and awareness at the same time," she said.

"We've organised it and we're just waiting for the photographer to take the photos next month. The calendar will be on sale from October."

Other activities include a fun night at a Wrexham pub and a six-a-side football tournament.

Julie, who nursed her son in his final weeks, said: "Mark found a lump on one of his testicles 12 months before he was diagnosed. I think he put off going to the doctor through embarrassment. By the time he did go to the doctor's it was too late, the cancer had spread.

"He was a very quiet, deep person but he would never discuss anything. If he was in pain he wouldn't tell anybody and kept everything to himself.

"I want to stop the embarrassment for young men. Breast cancer is talked about so much women aren't bothered about going to the doctor."

Charity trustees would like to see men sent aletter asking them to go for screening at Well-man clinics, similar to the way women get regular smear tests for cervical cancer.

Julie paid a warm tribute to her son.

"The number of friends who came to his funeral was just unbelievable. There were about 80 or 90 lads, he was so popular," she said."

When I visit the UK I shall look out for this calendar. Hope they raise a lot of funds for testicular cancer in the process.

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