In 2020, just a week after my 18th birthday, my dad was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer and in an instant my world changed.

I used to think cancer was something you saw in films, something that happened to other people. But suddenly, the strongest man I knew was fighting for his life. That year was one of the hardest; celebrating Christmas, Father’s Day, and birthdays while he was in hospital felt unreal. But after months of surgery and radiotherapy, my dad beat cancer. He survived. And he continues to show me every day what true strength looks like.

My father’s diagnosis only came about because my uncle; having been diagnosed with prostate cancer himself months prior, urged him to get checked. He had faced the disease, fought it, and survived. It was his insistence that led to early detection; without it, the outcome may have been very different.

This June 2026, I’ll be skydiving to raise money for Prostate Cancer UK and trust me, I’m scared. Jumping out of a plane is not something I ever thought I’d do. But my dad taught me that in life, there’s nothing to be scared of. Not the unknown, not a diagnosis, not surgery after surgery. If he can face cancer head-on, then I can face this.

What many people don’t know is that black men are at higher risk. 1 in 4 Black men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. That’s double the risk of other ethnicities. And yet, in our communities, cancer is still taboo. We don’t talk about it enough. That silence is costing lives.

A cancer diagnosis does not mean your life is over. It just means learning to live again with a new normal. A different path, but still full of life, hope, and purpose.

So I’m jumping for my dad. I’m jumping for my uncle. I’m jumping for the families who are still fighting. I’m jumping to break the silence.

Please donate if you can. Share if you can’t. Every bit helps.

With love and courage,

Faith Wandera