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About Us

Photo of Prostate Cancer Awareness Foundation Inc. CEO Eric Simmons.

My motivation behind starting the Prostate Cancer Awareness Foundation came from the devasting effect my Stage IVB prostate cancer diagnosis had on me and my family.  I paid a tremendous price for not being proactive in terms of preventative care (i.e., seeing a doctor annually) about my prostate once I turned fifty.  I ended up suffering acute renal failure, had two (2) nephrostomy tubes placed in me in the event my kidneys were to fail, and, as of this writing, have had 86 doctors’ visits and labs, produced $592,171.74 in medical bills ...

had five (5) cystoscopies, (2) Nuclear Whole Body Scans, a 3D MRI, a CT rectal exam, a biopsy, and a robotic prostatectomy to remove my prostate, forty percent (40%) of which was filled with cancerous cells.  Following my surgery, it was discovered that the cancer had spread to five (5) areas of my body ... 

At one point in my battle with the disease, I became so depressed about my condition that, on two occasions, I thought about taking my life because when trying to sleep at night, the pain from lying on the two capsules used to connect the nephrostomy tubes to urine bags if my kidneys were to fail, had become too excruciating to bear.  My saving grace was two divine interventions I experienced.  The first came when I was in the emergency room and had been told my kidneys had failed.  Shortly afterward, a heavenly bright light appeared, and I knew I was in the presence of God.  The Lord’s manifestation gave me the assurance I would be okay. The second intervention occurred about a day after my prostate surgery.  An angel’s tan and brown right wing appeared and moved slowly, covering the area from my midsection to my head.  A few weeks later, I learned cancer had spread to five regions of my body, the very areas the angel's wing had covered, but the amount was so small I didn’t have to undergo chemotherapy or radiation treatment. 

I believe God sent me an angel whose purpose was to contain the prostate cancer and keep it from spreading further and also to heal my kidneys because, since April 11, 2023, my cancer has been undetectable.  Also, my kidneys have improved by 717% as I’ve gone from Stage 5 (End Stage Chronic Kidney Disease), which is dialysis range, to Stage 3A (Moderate Chronic Kidney Disease).

 

Not wanting to see any man and their family, especially marginalized ones, go through what my family and I have endured and believing my testimony might help give other prostate cancer patients and their families hope is the reason why I started the Prostate Cancer Awareness Foundation.  

Fists in Solidarity

Creating awareness
for middle-aged men

and their families

Why the Prostate Cancer Awareness Foundation?

Prostate Cancer Awareness Foundation Inc. logo with white lettering.

Because differences in prostate cancer incidence and mortality rates among Asian, Black, Hispanic, Caucasian, American Indian, Alaska Native, and other men in the U.S. are well documented... 

As an empathetic “community-centric” organization led by a diagnosed Stage IVB prostate cancer patient, we believe we are an indispensable cog in the “wheel of education, information dissemination and delivery” about prostate cancer and the impact the disease can have on men and their families, especially marginalized ones…

Image depicting helping hands.
Image of people in a group hug.

As a result, we will continue working tirelessly to provide prostate cancer education, share patient experiences, allocate funding to help the less fortunate with their medical bills, and deliver resources, where possible, to encourage all middle-aged men to see and talk to a doctor about prostate cancer.

We are a tax-exempt nonprofit organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC), specifically classified as a 509(a)(2) public charity.  Your donations qualify for tax deductions under IRC Section 170.

What is the Prostate,
and What Does it Do?

Image of urinary tract anatomy.

The prostate is an accessory sexual gland in the man and contributes a small volume to the total volume of seminal fluid.

Located just below the bladder in front of the rectum, it wraps around the tube (i.e., urethra) that carries urine and semen out of the body. It tends to grow larger as you get older.

Racial Disparities in Prostate Cancer

Did You Know?

  • Prostate cancer has the largest disparities by race of any cancer.

  • The age-adjusted overall mortality due to prostate cancer in the US between 2015 and 2019 in Black men was the highest in the world.

  • In the United States, Black men are 1.76 times more likely to be 
    diagnosed and 2.14 times more likely to die from prostate cancer
    compared to White men.​

2-4x the risk

Men with a brother or father diagnosed with prostate cancer have a 2 to 4-fold greater risk of developing prostate cancer, with a higher risk if a brother is diagnosed.

Sources: Department of Health and Human Services and National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Diagram showing the Racial Disparities in Prostate Cancer.

Cancer Letters 531 (2022)

"Racial disparities in prostate cancer: A complex interplay between socioeconomic inequities and genomics"

Prostate cancer begins when cells in the prostate gland start to grow out of control. The prostate is a gland found only in males.  It makes some of the fluid that is part of semen.

Image of cancerous prostate cells.

Click the arrow to learn more.

Northside Hospital 2024_prostate_cancer_screening_flyer_english.jpg
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