Dry July NZ Trust

Doug had no reason to think anything was wrong. No symptoms, no warning signs; nothing to suggest his whole life was about to change. What began as a routine diabetes check-up turned into a conversation no one wants to have.

"It was like being smacked between the eyes with a brick. You're not expecting it. There were no symptoms. Then for someone to just turn around and say, ‘Yeah, you've got prostate cancer. Now go away and think about it.’”

At first, Doug thought the treatment would be the hardest part.

“I want it out. Get rid of it,” he remembers thinking.

But it wasn't that simple. After his initial treatment, things seemed to be improving. His PSA levels dropped, and life started to feel almost normal again.

It didn't last. When the cancer returned, Doug needed a new treatment, one that works by blocking the testosterone that feeds this type of cancer. It helped control the disease, but it came at a cost. Doug went from living a full, active life to struggling with something as simple as bending down to pick up a pen.

“I'd have to get down on my hands and knees to pick it up, and even getting back up was a struggle.”

That loss of strength hit hard, both physically and mentally.

Finding strength again

Through the Prostate Cancer Foundation, Doug was introduced to the Prost-FIT Programme. From his very first class, something shifted. Slowly, his strength began to return and his energy improved. And just as importantly, he found something he hadn't realised was missing: a group of men all going through the same thing.

“After class, when you're all knackered, we'd go for a coffee. Then the guys open up. It's great. You're not alone.”

After each Prost-FIT session, Doug could have a yarn about what was working, what wasn’t, and how to keep going. For the first time since his diagnosis, it didn’t feel like it was all on him.

Why your support matters

Support like this doesn't happen on its own. It's made possible by people who choose to stand alongside those diagnosed with cancer and the families going through it with them.

Doug's journey is a powerful reminder of why that support matters. This Dry July, when you choose to go alcohol-free, you're helping ensure people like Doug have access to the care, support, and community they need, not just to survive, but to truly thrive.

Go Dry this July and stand with Kiwis facing prostate cancer.

Through the Prostate Cancer Foundation, Doug was introduced to the Prost-FIT Programme. From his very first class, something shifted. Slowly, his strength began to return and his energy improved. And just as importantly, he found something he hadn't realised was missing: a group of men all going through the same thing.

“After class, when you're all knackered, we'd go for a coffee. Then the guys open up. It's great. You're not alone.”

After each Prost-FIT session, Doug could have a yarn about what was working, what wasn’t, and how to keep going. For the first time since his diagnosis, it didn’t feel like it was all on him.

Why your support matters

Support like this doesn't happen on its own. It's made possible by people who choose to stand alongside those diagnosed with cancer and the families going through it with them.

Doug's journey is a powerful reminder of why that support matters. This Dry July, when you choose to go alcohol-free, you're helping ensure people like Doug have access to the care, support, and community they need, not just to survive, but to truly thrive.

Go Dry this July and stand with Kiwis facing prostate cancer.

After finishing active cancer treatment, Tracey enrolled in a PINC & STEEL group exercise class to rebuild strength and confidence. Here, she shares what the program meant to her:

Reflecting on her first day at the PINC & STEEL group class, Tracey says:

“It helped me re-enter the world, away from the cancer treatment system that I had been so deeply immersed in. When my treatments finished, I had no confidence, I felt people were looking at me with pity, I was embarrassed, no hair, weak, ongoing symptoms etc. The first day I turned up to the PINC & STEEL class, I met other people like me at different stages and with different cancer stories, I felt almost normal. As the weeks progressed a gentle kinship developed, though I felt alone before, I became stronger and my confidence flourished- I started to believe I had a future."

On why cancer rehabilitation support matters after treatment:

"It is important for people to know that after treatment you are shattered, you are not the same person you were before cancer, and you won’t be the same person after the treatments. I was curled up like a ball of string- imagine not having any support to unravel and get moving again. I so needed this support and direction.”

~ Tracey

This kind of support is made possible by funds raised through our Dry July community, helping keep programmes like PINC & STEEL free and accessible to those who need them most.

Michelle Stephenson doesn't use the word "cure." For her, cancer is something she lives with, a permanent fixture she's learned to work around rather than fight against. That shift in perspective hasn't come easily, but it's shaped everything about how she approaches her days.

"It's really hard to stay positive one hundred per cent of the time," she admits. So instead of chasing an impossible standard, Michelle focuses on a simpler question: what fills her cup?

Part of the answer has been Cancer Support NZ, which she discovered more than four years ago. The programme offers over 20 free, practical, non-medical classes designed to support people facing cancer, and what drew Michelle in was its flexibility.

What she found there surprised her. Not just useful sessions, but a community of people who understood without needing things explained. Cancer can be an isolating experience, appointments, treatment, and worry have a way of narrowing your world, and Michelle had felt that. Among others living similar realities, something loosened.

"You think, 'Actually, it's not only me,'" she says.

The conversations aren't centred on diagnoses. They're about everything beyond the illness: identity, joy, ordinary life. That's precisely the point. Cancer changes everything, but Michelle has found it doesn't have to define everything.

She still picks and chooses what classes she needs when she needs them, and leave sessions feeling lighter than when she arrived. For Michelle, Cancer Support NZ has accomplished something invaluable: helped her feel normal again. This support is made possible thanks to funds raised by our Dry July community, which keep these programmes free and accessible to all New Zealanders.

Dry July funding is helping Cancer Support NZ (home of Look Good Feel Better) deliver free programmes that support people through the everyday challenges of cancer, beyond treatment and hospital care.

These programmes provide practical guidance to help manage the visible side effects of cancer treatment, alongside spaces for connection, shared experience, and support. Through community classes, expert-led Q&A sessions, and online resources, participants can build confidence, learn new skills, and connect with others who understand what they are going through.

Available both in person and online across New Zealand, these services ensure people can access support in a way that suits them, whether that is attending a local class, joining a live session, or engaging with resources from home. The impact goes beyond practical advice, helping people feel more like themselves again while reducing isolation and building emotional resilience.

A participant who attended a Look Good Feel Better community class shared:

"My experience with LGFB was fabulous, from the wonderful, kind ladies running the programme, to the beautiful women who attended, and the lovely complimentary pack we received. It was a supportive and relaxed experience that made me feel special while navigating this difficult journey."

Another participant, after attending an Expert Q&A session, said:

"Amazing session with Lance [Expert Q&A: Managing Anxiety and Sleep]. This was my first online zoom session with you guys. I learnt so much - and felt a part of a peer support network - something I have been severely lacking through my spinal tumour injury."

We are incredibly grateful to the Dry July community whose generosity makes these programmes possible, ensuring more people affected by cancer can access the support they need, when they need it most.

Thanks to you, Look Good Feel Better NZ is helping empower cancer patients through confidence classes and workshops, available anywhere and anytime.

Look Good Feel Better NZ's diverse range of programmes provide accessible opportunities to learn tips and tricks to help disguise the visible side effects of cancer, as well as providing an opportunity to connect with others for mutual support. Access in-person community classes and live online confidence classes, or podcasts and on-demand videos, available online 24/7.