Newswise — When 64 year old Jerome Simmons came across an ad on social media for Hackensack Meridian Health’s Annual Men’s Health Event, he almost ignored it. But something in his gut told him to stop scrolling and read more. A health event for men? Including a free screening for prostate cancer which ran in his family? He knew it would be silly not to take advantage of this. This decision would change - and quite possibly save - the life of this NJ husband, father of 5 sons and grandfather to 10.
Blood work from that event held on the last day of Prostate Cancer Awareness Month in September would reveal the Paterson man was ill. In an instant, Simmons became the 1 in 8 men who will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. As an African American man, he was at even greater risk. In fact, black men are more than twice as likely to die from prostate cancer than others.
“Honestly, I was so lucky that it was caught relatively early. Since it was Stage 2, I felt like I had a good chance of getting it taken care of. But if I didn’t go to that screening, who knows where I’d be,” Simmons said.
A few weeks after his surgery, which was performed with the assistance da Vinci 5 Surgical System, a state-of-the-art robotic platform designed to assist surgeons in performing minimally invasive surgery, last February, Simmons was playing and laughing with his grandchildren and had regained the energy he didn’t even realize he was missing.
The da Vinci 5 allows surgeons to operate through tiny incisions, minimizing tissue damage and reducing pain. This leads to many benefits for the patients including shorter hospital stays, less pain, reduced risk of infections, faster recovery and improved surgical outcomes which has Jerome now exercising regularly again. He’s happy to share with others what he’s learned from his own journey: Stay on top of your health.
“You can’t wait. Don’t delay going to doctors like I did. If you have an issue, get it taken care of right away and don’t be afraid to ask questions,” he said.
“It is imperative to hold free screening events that allow people to feel empowered to take control of their health. When you eliminate barriers such as cost, you can save a life and that is priceless! Stories like this make the work we do necessary and worth it,” said Elan Shoulders, Manager of Community Outreach for Hackensack Meridian Health’s John Theurer Cancer Center.
"This kind of public event is important to our mission in health care," said
Nitin Yerram M.D., Co-Director of Urologic Oncology, at the John Theurer Cancer Center at Hackensack University Medical Center. “It can make all the difference for the community and it’s become a crucial part of our mission to save lives.”
In addition to free screenings for prostate cancer, Hackensack Meridian Health’s annual men’s health event offers screenings for high blood pressure, diabetes, asthma, lung disease, colorectal cancer and more at no cost; as well as advice and support from experts with the Hackensack Meridian Center for Discovery and Innovation (HMH’s world renowned research center), the Hackensack University Medical Center Department of Urology and the Cancer Community Outreach & Engagement Program at the John Theurer Cancer Center and the Hackensack Meridian Health Community Outreach Division.
Hundreds of men attend each year. The goal is to connect men, especially African American men in our community, with cancer screening, which can detect the disease in its earliest, most curable stages.
That was the case for Jerome Simmons - whose large family couldn’t be more relieved he made the smart decision to take charge of his health.
“I believe going to this screening saved my life,” Simmons said. And it could save yours as well.
Join this year's free event on Saturday, September 21 at the Hackensack Recreation Center.
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