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Cancer survivor climbs Kilimanjaro for awareness
Derek Davis has faced cancer three times, including prostate cancer, and now he’s taking on a new challenge: climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. The Atlanta engineer and 24-year husband will join other survivors and caregivers on the 19,000-foot trek to raise awareness during Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. Davis says screenings and support groups were vital to his survival, and now he hopes to inspire others.
ATLANTA - Derek Davis, a three-time cancer survivor, will join ZERO Prostate Cancer President and CEO Courtney Bugler and 14 other climbers on a Mount Kilimanjaro expedition that kicks off Sept. 20, with the summit planned for Sept. 30.
The Peaks Challenge is billed as a journey to end prostate cancer and a call to early detection during Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.
Fight to end prostate cancer
What we know:
Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among men in the United States. Every two minutes a man is diagnosed, and every 15 minutes another dies, according to information provided by ZERO Prostate Cancer. More than 300,000 new cases are expected this year and over 35,000 deaths. When caught early, the survival rate is greater than 99 percent.
The organization describes the Peaks Challenge as a symbol of survivorship, support, and determination, and a reminder that awareness and community action can save lives.
What is the Peaks Challenge?
What they're saying:
"I did not. The idea found me," Davis said. "I am a prostate cancer survivor, and one of the things that survivors can do is join a support organization. One of the organizations I joined was with Zero Cancer. And through that support group, they came up with a fantastic, creative, different idea. That was to have individuals fundraise, raise awareness, and actually summit Mount Kilimanjaro."
Davis said his mountain experience is limited. "I have experience in Atlanta with Kennesaw Mountain and Stone Mountain and that’s about the extent of it," he said. He added that the nerves remain. "It is still plunging right now, absolutely."
"My cancer journey is actually a three-time cancer journey," Davis said. He was first diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma at 23, went into remission for five years, then relapsed as he and his wife prepared for their first child. Years later, a proactive PSA screening led to his prostate cancer diagnosis. "Although normal, my numbers were elevated for me," he said. "Fast forward a year later, my number increased even more. And at that point, we made the confirmed decision that we did a biopsy and confirmed that it was, in fact, prostate cancer."
ZERO Prostate Cancer
What you can do:
Davis urged men to get screened annually and to seek support. "Some things that I would advise people to do is if they get any kind of diagnosis, whether it be cancer or some other diseases, number one, take a breath," he said. "Particularly joining a support group is very important." For those reluctant about a digital rectal exam, he noted the PSA blood test as a simple yearly screening tool. "It’s not a diagnostic tool. It’s just a screening tool that you can do every year," he said.
Davis shares updates on YouTube at Survivor to Summit. Donations can be made through ZERO Prostate Cancer.
The Source: Derek Davis spoke with FOX 5's Ariyl Onstott live on FOX 5 Atlanta News Live at 3 p.m. on Friay only on FOX Local. Additional details come from ZERO Prostate Cancer and previous FOX 5 Atlanta reporting.