\u201cCool hair.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Everywhere\u00a0Leo\u00a0and Brandy\u00a0Nunes\u00a0go,\u00a0they\u00a0hear such a comment. \u00a0<\/p>\n
Leo\u2019s\u00a0response\u00a0to the interest and curiosity from the couple\u2019s bright blue locks is usually, \u201cThanks.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0for prostate cancer.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
People\u00a0will then often ask who has prostate cancer that they know.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When Leo\u00a0responds, \u201cI do,\u201d many are surprised, he says. \u201cThey think it\u2019s a grandpa disease.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
But\u00a0that\u2019s\u00a0mistake No. 1, the\u00a0Nuneses\u00a0tell anyone\u00a0who\u2019ll\u00a0listen.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Since Leo was diagnosed three years ago while in his 40s, the couple have been clanging a\u00a0loud warning bell\u00a0about the deadly but\u00a0somewhat\u00a0hush-hush\u00a0disease that can appear in younger men as well as aging seniors.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And they\u2019ve succeeded in getting people to pay attention and support the cause.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople wonder who are the weird guys with the blue hair,\u201d Leo says. \u201cBut it works.\u201d<\/p>\n
The married couple, who have been together for 25 years, initially dyed their hair blue after Leo\u2019s diagnosis in 2022, to mark September\u2019s national recognition as Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. <\/p>\n
They\u2019ve been blue-headed ever since because they discovered their look \u2014 which for Leo also includes blue clothing, socks, shoes and accessories \u2014 is a great conversation-starter.<\/p>\n
Leo and Brandy recently had a lengthy talk with a TSA agent at the airport, who has had several men in his family affected by prostate cancer. <\/p>\n
And a recent trip to Costco yielded an exchange with someone at the store whose dad had prostate cancer. They\u2019re not shy about telling people who are at risk how to get tested, what direct support is available and anything else.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought if I were to have a chance of making an impact, I could go blue and be public about prostate cancer, or I could be private about it and not make a difference,\u201d Leo says.<\/p>\n
Despite the numbers \u2014 a man is diagnosed with prostate cancer every two minutes and a man dies from it every 15 minutes in the U.S. \u2014 and that it\u2019s the second most diagnosed cancer in men next to skin cancer and the second leading cancer death in men \u2014 prostate cancer is just not openly discussed or supported in the same way that breast cancer is, Leo and Brandy point out.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople don\u2019t like talking about stuff below the waist,\u201d Leo says.<\/p>\n
Which is unfortunate, the Nuneses say, because the survival rate is high \u2014 99% \u2014 if it\u2019s detected early and hasn\u2019t spread. The odds decrease from there. The five-year survival rate for the stage that former President Joe Biden has is 38%, for example.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis needs to be something that\u2019s constantly in front of people,\u201d Leo says. \u201cFor me, prostate cancer awareness is every day.\u201d<\/p>\n
Medically, improvements in detection and treatment have made this type of cancer more palatable and less scary, Leo attests. For example, presence can be detected through a blood test rather than the old rectal exam that\u2019s often the butt of a joke.<\/p>\n
And the condition does not necessarily mean the prostate must be removed, which can affect sexual performance and lead to incontinence. <\/p>\n
In May, Leo had his third treatment of laser ablation with real-time imaging that targets cancer-ridden cells and leaves healthy cells alone.<\/p>\n
The downtime is minimal and has resulted in optimistic outcomes, Leo says. Surgery is still in the cards for some cases, he says, but it\u2019s not automatic.<\/p>\n
This year, the Nuneses secured proclamations for September to be recognized by local and state elected officials for prostate cancer awareness.<\/p>\n
They\u2019ve also advocated in Washington, D.C., for more funding for free testing for low-income men and more programs for all.<\/p>\n
\u201cProstate cancer should not be anything there\u2019s stigma around or barriers,\u201d Leo says.<\/p>\n
The powerhouse health insurance brokers who own Nunes Partners are still riding the high of hosting a wildly successful No Cancer November Casino Night fundraiser held at COS City Hub event center to support cancer research, treatment and support.<\/p>\n
Leo and Brandy set a goal of raising $20,000 this year, but pulled in $28,000 from 135 attendees and 19 business sponsors. That\u2019s more than double from last year\u2019s gala, which raised $10,000.<\/p>\n
Two charities split the proceeds: the local Sue\u2019s Gift that assists women diagnosed with gynecological cancers, and the national ZERO Prostate Cancer, which has online support groups and other help for men navigating the illness.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s no local organization that focuses on prostate cancer, so the Nuneses have decided it\u2019s their philanthropic fate to build momentum for the cause.<\/p>\n
They\u2019ve started the Nunes Foundation with prostate cancer as the first of three pillars of health and human welfare, along with the environment and animals.<\/p>\n
Over the past three years, they\u2019ve raised more than $45,000 for cancer-busting organizations that provide early detection programs, financial assistance and critical resources for patients.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t have kids; we tried to have a family, but it just didn\u2019t work out,\u201d Brandy says. \u201cThis is the legacy we\u2019re going to leave.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCancer makes you go crazy a little bit,\u201d says Leo, who has taken on a do-or-die attitude and lately has done several \u201ccrazy things\u201d beyond dying his hair.<\/p>\n
Admittedly non-athletic and definitely not a runner, Leo completed a half-marathon with little preparation but sheer determination to see how far he could push his body.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s since participated in other physical challenges to raise more money for ZERO Prostate Cancer, including running the Manitou Springs Incline for 30 consecutive days, which garnered $15,000 in donations. <\/p>\n
He also climbed Mount Kilimanjaro with a group of 17 hikers from ZERO Prostate Cancer. His effort added nearly $9,000 in contributions, and he was the only prostate cancer survivor from Colorado to complete the ascent.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Another high-altitude climb is in sight for June in the Andes mountains, and 2027 looks like it\u2019ll be Mount Everest.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s nuts,\u201d Brandy says, with a smile. She doesn\u2019t accompany Leo on his quests to conquer mountains but does her best to stand by her man in his newfound passion.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s like in this mindset that he\u2019s going to do something, and he does,\u201d Brandy says.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like if I can do extreme challenges, I can take out cancer,\u201d Leo says. \u201cIt gives you the strength to know there\u2019s a lot of harder things than pushing through disease.\u201d<\/p>\n
Perhaps somewhat strangely, but also with total clarity, cancer has opened doors the couple never imagined.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople feel there\u2019s nothing to live for and there\u2019s no hope if you have cancer,\u201d Brandy said. \u201cFor us, it\u2019s been the thing that lights the fuel in the fire and sparks change.\u201d<\/p>\n
They think it\u2019s better than living in silence.<\/p>\n
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