“I decided to grow my beard for a year because my father’s life changed when he was diagnosed, and from the day he was first diagnosed, to the day he sadly passed away, was just over a year.”
“A beard takes patience and determination not to shave and having it for a year made me realise how short a year really is and how my father must have felt even though he didn’t know he only had a year left with us.”
“The only challenge of having an unruly beard for a year was with my enteral desire to shave it off or clean it up when it got scruffy, my partner, family friends and work were very supportive the whole way through that was the easy part.”
“With raising the funds I know in the big scheme of things it’s not a terribly large amount but I hope it in some way helps change someone’s life, gives someone a cure or helps start the conversation about bowel cancer, I didn’t realise how quick and horrible it is until it was too late.”
“Thank you to Bowel Cancer Australia and Everyday Hero for their support it made it that much easier.”
If you were inspired by Benjamin’s beardtastic fundraising efforts and would like to organise your own hair-raising fundraiser head to Decembeard® Australia.
Grow a beard or challenge your beard, start growing now or get ready to join us in December 2019.
Women and children are also encouraged to take part in Decembeard® Australia by making or faking a beard and encouraging their fathers, brothers, husbands, boyfriends, partners and male friends to find out about bowel cancer and grow some facial hair for Decembeard®!
