A Family-Focused Strategy for Coping with Prostate Cancer

At PHEN’s 2024 Prostate Cancer Disparity Rally, prostate cancer survivors and their families came together to share their journeys with this disease. Moderator and PHEN Director of Communications Tomeeka Miller introduced prostate cancer survivor Mr. Charles “Chuck” Christian of Chuck Christian Designs and his son Mr. Micah Christian, a professional musician.

Mr. Christian was diagnosed with metastasized prostate cancer in 2016 with doctors giving him only weeks to live. Despite having more than 200 tumors in his bones, Mr. Christian persevered and found out about a clinical trial for radioligand therapy in Austria. He went to Austria for three months to receive radioligand therapy. Despite initially being in a wheelchair, he was free of pain and walking up to 10 miles a day after only three weeks of treatment.

“It’s okay to be vulnerable. It’s okay to cry. It’s okay to not feel like Superman,” said his son Micah Christian. “The deeper the love, the deeper the pain. When you love someone that deeply, and you see them suffering in that way, it hurts. It hurts everyone in the family… It helped remind us of the fragility of life and every moment we have to share together is a gift.”

Mr. and Mrs. Charles and Cherry Seabrook also participated in the summit session. Mr. Seabrook is newly diagnosed with prostate cancer and Mrs. Seabrook is a former registered nurse who spoke on how helpful PHEN has been for their needs.

“I started listening to PHEN to find out more of what I can do to help him,” said Mrs. Seabrook. “The program is so excellent. Every month, we’re there.”

Prostate cancer caregiver William Davis, Jr. of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs also discussed the pain his father went through when this disease took his life.

“Dad caught his cancer early. After his operation, the cancer was dormant for six years, but then it came back and metastasized. We were trying to be caregivers. For the last weeks of his life, he only had Extra-strength Tylenol. He said he did not wish this pain on his worst enemy.”