A Movember Story With A Miraculous Ending
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- You may have become used to the furry faces in WCCO's weather center over the last four weeks, but Movember is about to end.
All month, WCCO has been sharing with you the stories behind the mustaches, including one man whose battle against testicular cancer has a miraculous ending.
According to Mayo Clinic, for American men between the ages of 15 and 34, testicular cancer is the most common form of cancer.
Andy Thieman was 31 when he was diagnosed with Stage 2 cancer.
"It's during that period when you feel the most invincible that you're the most vulnerable," Andy Thieman said. "Checking with some regularity is so important, because it grows so quickly that you can go from Stage 1 to Stage 2 -- so just removing to chemo -- in a matter of weeks."
During chemotherapy, he got on his bike and started raising money for cancer research. Now he's raising awareness through Movember.
"It takes this thing that is otherwise kind of unspoken and kind of awkward and makes you feel sort of uncomfortable and it kind of brings it out into the open," Thieman said.
His wife Katy Thieman agrees.
"It's so important to be proactive about your health," she said. "Had (Andy) not been proactive, it could have been a different story."
Thankfully Andy Thieman's story has a happy ending. Not only is he in remission, but four months ago, he also became a father.
"Everybody says their kid is a miracle but it feels a little more amazing," he said.
Team WCCO has raised over 3,300 dollars for Movember, but are still short of our $4,000 goal. To learn more and donate, click here.
