Tara Murray
Jeff Butcher might be going through his own battle with melanoma skin cancer, but it isn’t stopping him and his family raising awareness of the disease.
Butcher first received the news he had cancer in August 2019 at just 40. Since then he has had his ups and downs, having been diagnosed with stage four melanoma, meaning it’s unrecoverable.
Determined not to give up, Butcher said he will not let it beat him.
“It’s been close to four years now,” he said.
“While it is one of the most diagnosed cancers that people face, it’s one of the lower cancer groups you see in the media.
“I want to make people more aware of melanoma and the risks involved. While it might not be fashionable not to have a tan, you get to live a longer healthier life.”
Melanoma is the most common cancer affecting 20 to 39-years-olds in Australia, with 16,000 to be diagnosed this year.
If caught early 90 per cent of melanomas can be cured by surgery. It’s estimated 1300 Australians will die from melanoma this year.
Butcher said it was hard for his kids seeing him attend appointments two to three times a week and come home with bandages.
Butcher and his family will this Sunday participate in the Melanoma March to raise money to help fund research and options to help people with the disease.
It’s the second year the family has done it. Last year 60 people did the march, this year it’ll be between 150 and 200.
“With the disease I’m in a lot of social groups, Facebook groups” he said.
“I saw a little advertisement while sitting at a BBQ and said I should do that and raise some money.
“Next minute my wife signed up and a month later we were doing our first march. Last year we raised just under 12,000.
“Hopefully this year we’ll raise a larger amount of money.”
Butcher said it was amazing to have so much support from his friends and family, who have been with him through it all.
Some of the local schools are fundraising for the cause.
The Point Cook Centrals Football Club where Butcher is involved with the committee is also supporting him. The march will be held at the club’s ground and the club is will where the melanoma symbol on their jumpers for a game later this year.
He used to coach junior teams before having to step down due to the cancer. He said the friendships in the club were special and being their allowed him to live life normally for a while.
“I still work on the committee and help out in the canteen where possible,” he said. “I also look after the fundraising.
“Point Cook Sharks are a true community club allowing me the use of the clubrooms for the event and also have been allowed me to still involved at committee level.
“They have given me a platform to use the team jumper promote awareness and the cause by the use of a one off guernsey design to be used for a game and to speak to the players with the message that week. “Hopefully this will grow similar to breast cancer and indigenous designs and who knows maybe even the AFL one day.”
He said long term they would love to see a round dedicated to melanoma.
“The long term goal is to have a round where everyone wears the logo,” he said. “Similar to breast cancer rounds that they have every year.”
“Dermott Brereton he has just been diagnosed with skin cancers. He is the toughest player ever to play [football] he says its s***.”
The march wills tart at 3pm and run to 6pm, with food drinks and raffles on the day.
To donate: marchyourway.melanomamarch.org.au/page/TeamJeffButcher
