As West Ham United and the football world marks six years since the sad passing of Dylan Tombides, DT38 Foundation has launched an appeal for support following a tough period caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The charity, which helps men and boys understand the risks of testicular cancer, is marking its fifth anniversary and hopes new support will allow it to continue sharing the message that 'Delay is Deadly'.
DT38 Foundation was set up in memory of the late Hammers forward, who lost his battle with cancer on 18 April 2014, and launched by the Tombides family at Upton Park a year later.
With the support of the Club, the charity's message has since reached millions of boys and men around the world with key information about the risks of the testicular cancer.
But following the outbreak of coronavirus, the charity has been forced to cancel eight fundraising events, including the DT38 Awareness Day which was due to take place at Saturday's Premier League fixture with Burnley at London Stadium, a star-studded golf day, quiz night and fundraising races and events in both England and Dylan's native Australia.
To help make up for those cancellations, DT38 has set up the ‘3.80 Funding Appeal’ in a bid to secure the necessary funding for its future. It is seeking donations of £3.80 on the understanding that all donations received at DT38 are used to help raise awareness of testicular cancer and save the lives of men and boys. You can donate now here.
Tracy Tombides, mother of Dylan, explained: “Whilst we continue to work tirelessly to raise awareness and educate our youth about testicular cancer and as many people as possible, as a charity we are entirely reliant upon fundraising and donations and we have sadly experienced a dramatic fall in income recently because of the pandemic.
“We have cancelled several exciting fundraising events and, understandably, many people have turned their attentions elsewhere during this very difficult time. But we rely upon income to continue to raise awareness about the risks of testicular cancer, the most common type of cancer among young men.
“Saturday marks the sixth anniversary of the passing of my son Dylan.
“So that we can move forward with true confidence in the difficult months ahead, we are asking your help. We are asking if you can help DT38 and men and boys everywhere by making a donation of £3.80 (UK) or $3.80 (AUS) in support of our work this year.
“We want to say a huge thanks to everyone for your unwavering support and generous donations over the past five years. By continuing to work together in the UK, Australia and further afield we can continue to keep our men and boys safe.
“Our mission for the next five years appeared to be straightforward, but now our priority has turned to focus on reaching the sixth anniversary in February 2021. We can only achieve this with your financial support. We want to continue to reach as many people as possible and to encourage men to check themselves down under on a monthly basis.
“In support of this we launched our Check 1-Two Campaign and it couldn’t be easier. On the first of every month remember to give yourselves a quick check down under. Why not put a reminder in your phone?
“Of course, here at DT38 we’re going to be working hard to remind people because we know that self checking save lives – if you catch testicular cancer early you have a much better chance of survival or less complications.”
The DT38 Vision
Our vision is to change the way testicular cancer is diagnosed by implementing best practice diagnostic guidelines for patients who present with testicular symptoms. We also aim to arm future generations of young men with the necessary knowledge about testicular cancer that will enable them to be confident when taking health matters into their own hands.
The DT38 Mission
Our mission is to raise awareness and change the stigma associated with men’s health issues with a focus on testicular cancer. We aim to do this through providing educational programmes and opportunities for the youth of our community, to help shape a generation of children who are self- aware about their health and wellbeing.
Self-examination is simple
Testicular cancer is the most-common cancer in men under 35, but almost all cases can be cured if spotted and treated early. Warning signs include a hard lump about the size of a pea, slight enlargement of a testicle, a dull ache in the groin or lower abdomen, pain, swelling or discomfort in the testicles or scrotum and a sore on the tip of the penis that irritates or will not heal.
Self-examination is simple and takes only a few moments every month. Know what your testicles feel like normally. Gently roll each testicle between your thumb and fingers. Feel for a lump on the front or side of the testicle If you are concerned, see your doctor or visit a sexual health clinic immediately.
Delay is deadly. Get educated.
*Every year around 2,200 men and boys in the UK are diagnosed with testicular cancer. To find out more about DT38 Foundation, their awareness work and how to check for signs of testicular disease visit dt38.co.uk