PINEHURST — The FirstHealth Cancer Center provides a unique support group for men impacted by cancer called the Men’s Gathering. This group is open to patients, survivors, caregivers and friends, offering a welcoming space for men to connect, share and support one another through the challenges of cancer. The Men’s Gathering is a local chapter of the organization Man Up to Cancer, which focuses on reducing isolation and improving quality of life for men affected by cancer.
Man Up to Cancer, a non-profit organization, provides peer-to-peer support, an annual retreat and a chemotherapy backpack program designed to help men cope with the physical and emotional impacts of cancer. Founded by Trevor Maxwell, a stage IV colon cancer survivor, the organization has grown to include nearly 3,000 members in 50 chapters across North America, the UK, Northern Europe, and Australia.
According to Joe Bullock, COO of Man Up to Cancer and co-facilitator of the Men’s Gathering at FirstHealth, men often struggle to seek support during their cancer journeys. “When faced with cancer, women tend to reach out, and men tend to check out,” Bullock explained. “This often leads to mental health challenges, strained relationships and poor medical outcomes. We’re working to change this, encouraging men to ‘check in’ instead.”
Bullock, a Chatham County resident and stage III colorectal cancer survivor, has been instrumental in launching the Man Up to Cancer organization. Members of the organization refer to themselves as the Wolfpack and gather online in a private Facebook community, The Howling Place. Here, they share their experiences, offer advice and discuss everything from treatment options to hobbies and family life.
The Men’s Gathering at the FirstHealth Cancer Center meets monthly on the second Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., on the fourth floor. This informal, drop-in group welcomes any man affected by cancer, whether newly diagnosed, in treatment, a long-term survivor or caring for someone with cancer.
For more information on the Men’s Gathering support group at FirstHealth Cancer Center or Man Up to Cancer, contact Joe Bullock at Joe@manuptocancer.org, Deborah Yarborough, oncology social worker, at dyarborough@firsthealth.org or Katelyn Culbreth, oncology social worker, at kbculbreth@firsthealth.org.
