By Eleanor Wilson
The Pakenham community has rallied around a community stalwart following his shock cancer diagnosis.
Over the last decade, Pakenham Road Runners founder Michael Soutter has dedicated countless hours to local charity runs, putting his body on the line to raise money for cancer research.
Through his individual runs around Pakenham’s Lakeside, sometimes totalling over 100km, and his consistent participation in the Casey Relay For Life, he is estimated to have helped raise over $120,000 for the Cancer Council.
Now he is facing his own cancer journey, diagnosed with prostate cancer earlier this year.
But the community has rallied around the Pakenham father of two, raising over $30,000 for him to undergo lifesaving surgery.
It was a couple of months ago that the personal trainer got a call from his father suggesting he get checked for prostate cancer.
Michael’s father and uncle had both been diagnosed, which put him at a one in two chance of developing the disease.
The results from his Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) test were slightly elevated, but not concerning according to doctors.
An ultrasound confirmed his prostate was not enlarged and doctors were satisfied that they could monitor Michael’s health, but no drastic action needed to be taken.
But Michael wasn’t satisfied.
“It didn’t seem right, I’m high risk, with an elevated PSA, I thought surely we should do another test,” he said.
A second PSA test showed a further elevation in his PSA levels, which led to an MRI and then a biopsy.
Of the 19 samples taken from the biopsy, every single one of them came back with cancer.
Needing his prostate removed, doctors warned that he could not afford to wait in the public system for the surgery.
Which is where the Pakenham Road Runners came in, rallying to raise money so Michael’s surgery could be fast tracked through the private system.
The community running group was founded by Michael and his wife Jodie in 2014 and currently has about 250 active runners and 1400 members on its Facebook.
Thanks to the support of the Road Runners and the wider community, $25,000 was raised for Michael in under a week.
“We were going to have to do it [private] anyway, but it just means that instead of putting it on the house or putting it on super, we could do it this way,” Michael said of his surgery.
“The support has be mind blowing, it’s pretty special. I’m very lucky, I know I’m very loved.”
Pakenham Road Runners member and friend Adam Flegg said he was not surprised by the support Michael had received.
“Both Michael and Jodie would give you the shirt off their back if they thought you needed it,” he said.
“The way the community has gotten around him is just amazing, but there’s no one I know that deserves it more.
“There is not a single person I know of that knows him that doesn’t feel like they can go to him for anything they need.”
Last year Michael ran around Pakenham Lakeside for 24 hours straight – a distance of 130 kilometres- to raise money for local resident and mum Sarah Kelly, who has been battling a terminal brain cancer diagnosis.
The money raised from the ‘24 hours for the Kelly gang’ afforded Sarah and her family a trip to Byron Bay so she could receive alternative therapy.
Since that trip seven months ago, Sarah’s seizures – a side effect of her treatment – have completely stopped.
“He’s gone above and beyond what the normal person would do to put their body on the line and he’s so humble about it,” Sarah said.
“He’d often say, ‘it’s nothing compared to what someone goes through with a cancer diagnosis’.”
Michael will undergo surgery to remove his prostate in a week’s time, but is remaining positive about his future.
“It’s pretty hard when it first comes up, but at the same time it’s better to find it and deal with it and just move on.
“I’m still hoping to be able to run marathons and ultras and maybe another 100 k-er.
“This is not something that beats me, I’m gonna beat it, in every way I can.”
Now, he is encouraging men over 40 to get checked.
“Go and get tested, it’s just a simple PSA test, its not invasive, and even if it has a little bit of a rise, go and get an ultrasound because that can save your life really,” he said.
“If I hadn’t have had that second PSA test I would’ve gone home and in 12 months’ time I would’ve gone back and I’d be in big trouble because by then it would’ve gone everywhere.”
