The Justin Sucato Award was created to recognize prostate cancer survivors dedicated to assisting or educating fellow survivors. Justin Sucato was NTxPCC’s first Vice-President who was instrumental in initializing our educational programs. Justin lost his fight with cancer in 2010.
2011 Justin Sucato Award winner Mike Butler, pictured with
Mr./Mrs. Anthony Sucato, Mrs. Ilde Sucato and Sheri Butler
2012 Justin Sucato Award winner Jaren Smith
Dr. Dan Sucato, Mrs. Ilde Sucato, Wolfram Blattner
Justin Sucato Award 2013.
Often overlooked is the value of hospital visits to survivors after surgery. I did a few visits myself and I remember one case where a survivor was in tears when I came in, not because of me but because he realized that somebody outside his family cared.
This year’s Justin Sucato award goes to a survivor who decided to give something back after his own surgery. He has visited fellow survivors for more than 12 years. The candidate gives a great deal of his time to volunteer work in general. He now volunteers with Habitat for Humanity and has made numerous trips to New Orleans to help that community rebuild. He sees himself on equal footing with the rest of humanity and feeling blessed to be alive. He still visits prostate cancer patients twice a month. He is always extremely kind to the prostate cancer patients he visits and tells them, and those may be his own words, that losing their prostate “doesn’t have to cramp their style.” He reminds the patients that their live is full of meaning and joy post prostatectomy. He also invites the men to the support group at Baylor.
The 2013 Justin Sucato Award goes to Jay Holmes.
