The Ultimate Gift

I’m Jeffrey Wilde. 

I’m a husband, a father, a grandfather, and a prostate cancer survivor.

My life has always been an adventure. I’ve run marathons and competed in triathlons, and have raised children, which itself is a whole other kind of endurance event. My two adult children and my three-year-old son Deacon are always adventuring and growing together. But despite the joys in my life, I live in fear of prostate cancer.

My prostate cancer journey began several years ago during the holiday season. What was supposed to be a time of mirth turned into a season of despair.

One morning during breakfast with Deacon, my phone rang. It was my urologist saying he needed to see me the next day. Immediately, I knew my world was about to shift.

After the initial phone call from my doctor, I told him I needed some time to process and research. I looked into ALL the options for treatment.

When I went into his office the following week, I had my mind made up. I was going to have a prostatectomy. I just wanted to get the cancer out of my body. 

I was thinking about my two adult kids, my young son that my husband and I worked so hard to adopt. I was wondering how I was going to be able to take care of them. Would I be able to continue with my responsibilities as a supportive father and a spouse?

But in the end, I just wanted to live! I had worked so hard for these kids, for my life. I wanted to be able to enjoy it and most importantly be there for them.

This time of year is very important to me. This is when I'm reminded of my prostate cancer diagnosis. I feel so grateful for the family and friends that surrounded me during that difficult time. It pains me that there are so many men that don’t have the same resources or support system as I did.

In the new year, I want to work with ZERO to help achieve some goals related to fighting this awful disease: We need more men to know about this disease. We need more research into a cure for prostate cancer. We need men talking to men about prostate cancer and men’s health issues.

Most of all, we need to end this disease so that other men never have to go through what I went through, and so that husbands and sons can have their life remain intact.

So, during this holiday season, I believe the best gift you can give is a gift to ZERO because ZERO is fighting this disease for ALL men. I do believe that someday soon there will be an end to prostate cancer. Wouldn’t that be the ultimate holiday gift? Until then, we have a lot of work to do. That’s why in 2020 I’m going to be ALL in for ZERO, and I hope you will too.