Willie Garner is no stranger to the stage at the Beach Ballroom.
But now, instead of hosting a fan zone of rowdy Dons fans, the Aberdeen FC club director is gearing up to dance across the catwalk to raise funds for Friends of Anchor.
Willie was still living in Edinburgh when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer four years ago.
His friend had been diagnosed with the disease and after talking about the symptoms he decided to get checked out.
“He said he was up doing the toilet more regularly than normal and I thought – being as indestructible as I am – nothing will be wrong with me but I’ll go and get checked anyway,” Willie explained.
“I went to the doctors and they took a couple of blood tests and I went for various other tests and was told I had prostate cancer.
“It was a bit of a blow, to be honest. But then I thought ‘Ok, how do I try to get rid of this?’”
The cancer was contained in the prostate, and after visiting specialists with his wife Diane, they both thought the best thing would be to remove the prostate.
Banter and support in the unit
The couple later moved to Stonehaven and it was only when Willie went to register with urological cancer charity Ucan they found his PSA levels were higher than they should be.
After more tests, doctors found cancer had returned to the lymph nodes around where the prostate had been removed.
This came as another blow to Willie, and he started his radiotherapy treatment in the Anchor Unit.
He did five days a week of therapy and only finished his treatment about six weeks ago.
The 67-year-old will still be on hormone therapy for another two months but was relieved to hear the cancer was “undetectable” in his latest blood test.
While at the Anchor Unit in Aberdeen, Willie had good banter with the nurses and other patients, still meeting some of the friends he made there for coffee now and again.
The charity also provided him with a red and white water bottle for all of his 33 visits to hospital to make sure he drank enough ahead of treatment.
Volunteers from Friends of Anchor were almost always at the top of the stairs waiting to greet patients and ask them about their days. For Willie, the constant support from them was reassuring during his visits.
He said: “It’s just another voice, and they know exactly what you are going through and the type of things to say to you as well. They’ve been really supportive.
“I think the amount of money being raised is a testament to the work they do.”
Brave is ‘mental support’
The nurses suggested he should take part in Brave, and he realised it was a great chance to raise funds for the north-east charity.
Now, he is proud to have been selected to take part in the fashion show fundraiser this year and has made even more friends at rehearsals.
The former pro footballer says he isn’t nervous about getting on stage and “making a fool” of himself, but is instead looking forward to making memories and having a story to tell for years to come.
He praised Brave as a chance for the men who have all been supported by Friends of Anchor to open up and talk about their experiences.
He said: “Some people, I think, don’t want to talk about this kinda thing, but when you’re sitting among others who have gone through similar processes it’s actually quite easy to talk about.
“I feel that probably helps a lot of people as well, which is really important. So, while we’re up enjoying ourselves, we’re still quite happy to open the chat about what we went through, or what we’re going through, and there’s a lot of mental support there.”
He laughed and added: “The majority of the guys doing this thing are all Aberdeen supporters, so the banter is quite good to be fair – they’re always quite open to offer advice.”
Men of a certain age should get checked
Willie played for the Dons and was later assistant manager of the club, and says being involved with the club again as a director has been a good distraction.
He also stays active by playing golf and going to the gym weekly.
But now, he is urging men to get checked and is hoping to raise awareness by taking part in Brave.
“Cancer, it’s the big word everybody hates to talk about,” he said. “But, unfortunately, it’s something that happens to many people.
“I’m quite happy to stand up and talk about the real issues and how men of a certain age need to get themselves checked.
“Anything at all, you need to go and get it checked, because catching it early is recommended. It’s also hereditary, and I don’t think that’s exposed enough either.”
He finished: “The work the NHS do is unbelievable and I just feel that it’s just so important that men get checked.”
Willie has set up his own JustGiving page and has raised more than £3,000 for the Anchored Together Appeal. Donations can be made here.
Brave will take place at the Beach Ballroom on May 4 and 5. Tickets for the all-men fashion show are available on the Friends of Anchor’s website.
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