Bowie Woman Honors Father, Raises Prostate Cancer Awarness

Bowie resident Jamecia Muckelvene had some awareness of prostate cancer for years because her grandfather was a survivor, but until her father’s diagnosis in 2010, she had no idea how disproportionately the disease occurs in and kills African American men.

According to the American Cancer Society, African American men have the highest incidences of prostate cancer in the United States and are more than twice as likely to succumb to the disease as white men.

The key difference between Muckelvene’s grandfather’s diagnosis and her father’s was early detection. Her grandfather’s cancer was detected in Stage I and her father’s was detected in Stage IV.

“This is when we got the gist that not everyone survives this,” said Muckelvene.

After his diagnosis, Jamecia Muckelvene, 37, and her two sisters were with their dad, James “Rudy” Muckelvee, every step of the way as he went through chemotherapy and other cancer treatments. He began losing weight rapidly and suffered from a fracture to his spine, requiring surgery.

The quick progression of the disease raised red flags and the doctor did additional testing. They discovered that Muckelvene’s father had an extremely rare form of cancer called sarcomatoid carcinoma of the prostate

At this point, Muckelvene and her family started getting more involved and learning more about the disease. Throughout the course of their research they learned that with early detection and regular digital rectal exams (DREs), prostate cancer is entirely treatable.

“We found it really hard to know that if detected early, nearly 100 percent of men survive,” Muckelvene said.

However, she learned that many people just like her had no idea how serious this disease is and how important it is for men to be screened for prostate cancer.

“How many men are out there that don’t get screened because they don’t know how serious it is?” asked Muckelvene.

That’s why she and her family decided to form a non-profit to raise prostate cancer awareness and to advocate for regular screenings, particularly among African American men.

Muckelvene and her father incorporated Warriors Fighting for His Cure (WF4HC) on December 17, 2010, a non-profit dedicated to raising awareness about prostate cancer and prostate cancer screenings.

Her father passed away three days later, less than one year after his initial diagnosis. He was 58.

Now, in an effort to prevent other men from succumbing to prostate cancer, Muckelvene and WF4HC work to raise awareness in any way they can in Prince George’s County, particularly during September, which is National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.

Muckelvene attends health fairs and community events, offering educational resources and raising awareness about the disease. WF4HC is also campaigning to get President Barack Obama to “Light the White House Blue” to raise prostate cancer awareness on a national level.

Through her work, Muckelvene hopes to convince the Prince George’s County Health Department to offer free prostate cancer screenings.  She also wants to get people talking about prostate cancer so that others don’t have to lose their family members to a disease that is treatable and preventable.

“A lot of men don’t like to talk about it because it’s a personal issue,” said Muckelvene. “But, it’s a family issue.”

For more information on prostate cancer, screenings or prevention, visit the WF4HC website.