In June 2024, Alonzo Mourning underwent surgery after being diagnosed with Stage 3 prostate cancer. The procedure was successful and the Hall of Famer was declared cancer-free by the doctors. Shaquille O’Neal joined the celebration and congratulated the 54-year-old for winning his battle against cancer.
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Since beating the ailment, Mourning has become an advocate for men to keep their health in check and get regular PSA (prostate-specific antigen) blood tests done. The Heat icon believes that many men aren’t aware of the condition and hopes his campaign will help save lives.
An excerpt from Mourning’s conversation with ESPN about his surgery was posted on Instagram by an account called Positive Black News. He said,
“Life was good and amazing for me, but if I had ignored getting checked and let this go, the cancer would’ve spread through my body. Unfortunately, as men, we don’t like to go to the doctor, but this is the only way to find out what’s going on in your body. Prostate and even colon cancer are silent killers and many men won’t get those diagnosis until it’s too late.”
Shaq celebrates Alonzo Mourning beating cancer 🥳 pic.twitter.com/TXB8v0iMQ8
— What are (W)NBA Celebs Upto? (@NBACelebsUpdate) September 17, 2024
He recalled being told that he had prostate cancer but the good thing was that it was still inside the prostate capsule and hadn’t spread elsewhere at the time. O’Neal shared the post on his Instagram stories, celebrating his former teammate’s victory over cancer.
However, Mourning is in no mood to celebrate. On the contrary, he’s using his ailment to push men to take their health more seriously.
Alonzo Mourning advocates for health screenings
After his surgery, the Heat icon shared a post on his Instagram picture of him dapping up the doctor who performed the procedure. In the caption, Mourning wrote,
“Men, we have to remember that early detection is key, so make sure to prioritize your health and get regular checkups. Let’s continue to prioritize our health and well-being, and embrace a future filled with good health and happiness!”
View this post on Instagram
Mourning has been an advocate for regular health checkups for over two decades. In 2000, when he was in the prime of his career, he was told that he had developed some abnormalities in his kidneys. He underwent a transplant in 2003, which saved his life.
Since then, he has been an advocate for healthy practices and has worked on raising awareness for the same and pleaded with men to be proactive after it helped him beat prostate cancer. He told ESPN,
“We live in a world where it’s taboo among men to talk about health issues. If I didn’t get routine checkups, I probably wouldn’t be here to talk about this. I want men to be proactive with their health.”
Zo aspires to continue working for the same goal and help people save their lives.
