HAMPTON ROADS, Va. - This month, News 3 is raising awareness for men's health issues and money for the Movember Foundation.
News 3 is also digging deeper into a disease that impacts a lot of young men, and one many don't like talking about: testicular cancer.
READ: Facts About Testicular Cancer from the American Cancer Society
While it's not common, according to the Testicular Cancer Awareness Foundation (TCAF), it’s the leading cancer in men ages 15-44.
Last year, News 3 Anchor/Reporter Zak Dahlheimer shared his story of recently battling the disease.
One family that’s also fought the disease has been the Barretts, with their son Michael Barrett.
“The waves come less often,” Michael’s father, Kirk Barrett, told News 3.
For Kirk and his wife, Lynn, the water around Johnson & Sons Seafood in Suffolk is not only a place of peace.
They come there to find a piece of their son, Michael, especially around Thanksgiving.
“It's a tough time this time of the year,” Barrett said.
Michael, a sportsman who loved family and fishing, got the news in 2015 that he had testicular cancer.
“He was a battler,” Barrett said.
After surgery, he seemed to be in the clear.
That is until two years later, when Kirk said his son had another occurrence. A different kind of testicular cancer.
This time, however, it had spread and required more treatment, including chemo and stem cell transplants.
“His oncologist in Cincinnati said that they had never seen somebody fight like he had,” Barrett said. “He went through some chemos that other people would not have been able to withstand.”
But on Thanksgiving Day 2020, Michael died while in the midst of his second bout with testicular cancer.
“There was some shock from that because it came on faster than we thought it would. But, having seen what he'd been through, there was some peace that he didn't have to fight anymore,” Barrett said.
The first year following Michael’s death was especially tough for Kirk and Lynn.
But this year, they took action for Michael by honoring him with what he loved and where he found peace.
“He loved to fish, rockfish season is good typically in November, it's the anniversary of his passing, and it's also the month where we recognize men's health,” Barrett said.
Earlier this month, the Barretts held a memorial fishing tournament at Johnson & Sons Seafood in Suffolk to raising money for the American Cancer Society.
“He did not survive this particular cancer, so that told us there's work that needs to be done,” Barrett said.
Some of that work is being done through Hampton Roads native and testicular cancer survivor Steven Crocker.
“The more we can talk about it, the less taboo it'll be, and the more lives we can hopefully save,” Crocker told News 3.
This month marks three years of Crocker being in remission from testicular cancer.
“Turning it into a positive from a negative was never really a question for me,” Crocker said. “It was always really something that I wanted to do.”
November 2022 also marks one year since starting a podcast through TCAF called, “It Takes Balls.”
The podcast is a resource for families, featuring doctors and survivors from all backgrounds.
Crocker interviewed Zak Dahlheimer after Zak shared his story on News 3 last year.
He hopes the podcast can be an outlet for information and support and emphasize early detection and self-exams.
READ: Testicular Self-Exams from Testicular Cancer Awareness Foundation
“It's not talked about a ton. A lot of guys out there who are experiencing it don't know there are others who have been through it, or are going through it, or have had similar experiences to what they're going through,” Crocker said. “If I could use this as an opportunity to help others, it'll make going through at least this terrible time in my life worthwhile.”
As for the Barretts, they ended up raising $10,000 for the American Cancer Society through the fishing tournament.
Kirk Barrett said seeing the turnout for the tournament was a “tearjerker.”
“It's moving that they thought so much about the cause, and about Michael, to do that kind of thing,” Barrett said.
Meanwhile, Kirk and Lynn are looking ahead while staying positive and hopeful, as the water Michael loved helped bring a new purpose of helping others while honoring his life and fight.
