Centralian Advocate, Friday, February 14, 2014 — 17 DEPARTMENT OF SPORT, RECREATION AND RACING Every enrolled, school-aged child across the Territory is entitled to receive a Sport Voucher up to the value of $75 to help with the cost of playing organised sport. Vouchers are available from your school during February or by phoning 1800 045 678. Have you received your $75 Sport Voucher for 2014? www.sportvoucher.nt.gov.au Alice Springs residents are advised that as of Monday 3 March 2014 the speed limit along Gap Road between Traeger Avenue and Stott Terrace will be reduced to 40km/h. A map is available from the Council website www.alicesprings.nt.gov.au For more information please call Council on 8950 0500. GAP ROAD SPEED LIMIT CHANGE COMMUNITY NOTICE Phone: (08) 8950 0500 Web: www.alicesprings.nt.gov.au Rex Mooney &KLHI([HFXWLYH2I¿FHU “A town like Alice” NEWS Morgan’s one who knows ‘MEN DO GET CROOK’ HEALTH REPORTER Sasha Petrova Morgan Flint has headed to Adelaide for treatment to battle cancer Picture: PHIL WILLIAMS ‘ I don’t want men to have the same experience I had ’ MOST men diagnosed with prostate cancer will die with it. Sadly, Morgan Flint says he will be one of the few ‘‘to die from it’’. ‘‘I’m not afraid to say that,’’ Morgan’s voice breaks as he raises his glasses to wipe his eyes. A teacher of history in Alice since 1999, Morgan is well known figure in town. ‘‘Hello sir,’’ a young man waves as he walks past the coffee shop. ‘‘It’s not sir any more,’’ the now retired Morgan laughs before his friendly face be- comes serious again. ‘‘I don’t want men to have the same experience I had,’’ he says. It was in 2008 when Morgan was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Now, at the age of 69, the cancer has spread to his hips, ribs, spine and recently, he found out, his jaw. This is despite the radical prostatectomy he had after the first diagnosis. The can- cer had already ‘‘got out of the capsule’’ and the re- moval of Morgan’s prostate did little to fix things. ‘‘They found the cancer had in fact escaped from the prostate gland and there were signs that had clearly indicated that. ‘‘As a consequence, I had secondaries: hips, ribs and spine and now we know it’s gone into the jaw and prob- ably the adrenal glands.’’ Morgan’s strongest plea to men who have been diag- nosed is to insist on being referred to an oncologist. Most men, he says, are sent by their GP straight to a urologist, a surgeon who usually recommends the re- moval of the prostate. ‘‘There are other options. There isn’t just one path directly to the surgeon.’’ He recommends either seeing an oncologist or a referral to a teaching, public hospital where there is the option to be seen by a team of specialists: a dietician, a urologist, a radiotherapist and an oncologist. On Monday, Morgan took a self-funded trip to Ade- laide for eight days of radio- therapy. ‘‘After a few more tests, the next step for me is another round of chemo- therapy for four or five months. If it knocks the sh- t out of me, then I’ll stop. ‘‘I want my future to be a good one. As short as it may be. I love travelling. I love Europe. I love art. ‘‘I’ve always had a positive attitude to life - I love it. ‘‘If I can’t go camping. If I can’t do ushering at Araluen Arts Centre and have my blokes lunches. If I have to stop those things, life is not worth living. ‘‘The future is now. I’m in love. I’m surrounded by wonderful friends who have been, and will continue to be very supportive,’’ Morgan says. ‘‘Men have to realise they do get crook. Men and part- ners need to take their health seriously.’’ Help at hand for prostate cancer victims THE Alice Springs Prostate Cancer Support Group met this Thursday and will con- tinue to meet on the second Thursday of every month. Member Morgan Flint said there were about six active members of the group. But there were many people diagnosed with pros- tate cancer who did not attend. He encourages everyone who has the problem to attend, to know the facts and to have support. ‘‘We’re an expert group,’’ Mr Morgan said. ‘‘We know more about prostate cancer than many people.’’ Prostate cancer is the leading cause of death among non-Indigenous men in the Northern Territory and the second leading cause of death in Australia, after lung cancer. The risk of diagnosis in- creases with age. By the age of 75, one in eight men will have cancer of the prostate. The risk increases to one in six by the time a man reaches the age of 85. The Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia re- ports that diagnosis of pros- tate cancer doubled be- tween 1998 and 2008, from 10,113 to 20,750. It estimates 120,000 men in Australia are living with prostate cancer. The Alice Springs Pros- tate Cancer Support Group meets from 6.30-8pm in the conference room at General Practice Network NT, 5 Skinner St. Nurses’ awards entries to close IF you want to nominate an outstanding nursing pro- fessional in the Northern Territory for the 2014 HESTA Australian Nursing Awards, the deadline is fast approaching. Nominations close on Fri- day, 28 February. HESTA CEO, Anne- Marie Corboy, is urging the public to get their nomi- nations in as soon as poss- ible to avoid missing their chance to acknowledge an individual or team. ‘‘These awards are now in their eighth year, and they ensure the professionalism and dedication of nurses, midwives, personal care at- tendants and assistants is recognised and celebrated,’’ she said. ‘‘We want to highlight the truly inspiring work per- formed by those working in nursing roles, hear from col- leagues, patients and em- ployers about the excep- tional nurses they know.’’ Nominees will be in the running for a $30,000 prize pool, generously provided by ME Bank, to be shared among the winners in three categories: Outstanding Graduate, Team Innovation and Nurse of the Year. Outstanding Graduate and Nurse of the Year Award winners each receive a $5,000 ME Bank EveryDay transaction account and $5,000 towards further educ- ation. The winner of the Team Innovation Award re- ceives a $10,000 development grant to help implement their program or initiative. Members of the public and those working in the health and community serv- ices sector can nominate a Nurse of the Year, while Outstanding Graduate nominations must come from Graduate Nurse Coor- dinators. Nursing teams can nominate themselves for the Team Innovation Award. Finalists will be an- nounced on April 15, with interstate finalists flown to Sydney for the awards din- ner on Thursday, May 8 where the winners will be announced. HESTA is the leading super fund for health and community services, with more than 760,000 members.