When the MAN VAN® rolled into a Finning Canada staff event in Edmonton last year, Nathan had no idea how significant that visit would become for his family.
The annual Ryan’s Day Memorial Car Show was already a meaningful event, created in memory of a Finning colleague. Last year, the addition of the MAN VAN® brought an unexpected but lifesaving opportunity for his dad, Michael.
“My parents happened to be visiting me that weekend,” Nathan recalls. “Dad was a former Finning employee and had recently retired out in B.C., so he knew a few of the guys at the event. One of our coworkers, Rob, saw my dad right as he arrived and said, ‘You’re coming with me, we’re going to get checked.’”
Michael had no symptoms and hadn’t had a Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) test in several years. Without a family doctor in B.C., regular check-ups were easy to overlook. Inside the MAN VAN®, staff walked him through a series of screening questions.
“We walked into the van, they asked me some questions, and of course, one of the questions was, ‘Have you ever had a family member with prostate cancer?’” Michael recalls. “And my dad died of prostate cancer. I do have that family history. I said, ‘I’m all in; I’ll get tested.’”
That simple conversation and the quick PSA test that followed, likely saved his life.
A week later, Michael received his results: his PSA levels were elevated. At first, he and his wife downplayed the news to avoid worrying Nathan and his older sisters.
“My mom, Heather, initially told us that it was fine and not to worry, they were just going to monitor it,” Nathan remembers. But a few months later, when his parents had to travel to a cancer centre in Kelowna, he realized the situation was more serious. “That’s when they told me the test result might have been a little higher than they originally let on, and that he had to go have a consultation. He ended up being diagnosed with stage 2 prostate cancer.”
The diagnosis was a shock to both Michael and Nathan.
“I was shocked, worried, even a little bit angry,” Nathan admits. “It’s when the results come back that you think, what more could we have done? With the family history, I assumed dad was getting checked more often.”
Having lost his grandfather to prostate cancer, Nathan knew how important regular testing was. He was grateful his dad had been in the right place at the right time to get a free test through the MAN VAN® program.
“Having the free clinic there that day made such a difference,” Nathan says. “Mom was so grateful, going into the MAN VAN® that day potentially saved dad’s life.”
Michael remains optimistic. “I said to Nate, you know, it’s going to be okay. I have friends who are cancer survivors. One is currently battling stage four, and she’s got the most positive attitude of anyone I’ve ever met. That’s kind of what I’m trying to do, just have the most positive mindset.”
His dad’s diagnosis also gave Nathan a new perspective. “I had been planning on moving to B.C. to be closer to Mom and Dad, and my sisters. Dad’s diagnosis did make me think, should I speed up that process? You start to think, maybe I don’t have as much time as I thought I did.”
Michael understands. “I can relate, because I watched my dad die from the same cancer. When he was diagnosed, I was working in Alberta, living in Prince George, and flying to Ontario to see him. I get that – you want to be closer to your family.”
The ripple effect continues at Finning. “The MAN VAN® is coming back this year for the car show, and more guys are interested now that Dad has been diagnosed, and his story is being heard around the company,” says Nathan.
“The minute you know someone who’s been diagnosed, it hits close to home. It really encourages you to think more about your health. Hopefully, men can relate and talk to their father or son about getting checked. Getting that test, it does give you more time. For your sons, daughters, and grandkids.”