The month of November is a month for men of the world to rejoice and come together by NOT shaving their facial hair! Movember, as it has been named, is the month for spreading awareness about men’s problems and diseases. By growing a moustache or beard, men all over the world are spreading awareness about men’s prostate, testicular cancer, and depression, as well as mental illnesses that affect men all around the globe.

By donating to the Movember official website, money is well spent to expand research and support benefits. The Movember Association has given the name of “mo-bro” to those supporting the cause. Mo is short and simple for “moustache.”

Many men have shared their stories about the Movember cause, too.  They tell all about their mental health experiences and physical issues. Even when faced with issues such as cancer, these men keep their head high and continue to support each other to their fullest. Tom Walker, a fellow Mo Bro, has shared his story about overcoming his adversity as he was a child who lived in terrible conditions. He remembers, “The ‘biggest challenges’ are hard to say; as a child living in poverty, physical, psychological, and sexual violence was incredibly difficult. How I overcame them is a combination of communities I lived in (it takes a village to raise a child. The village included my bus driver, who I now call Mom, and her husband and children I see as my brothers and sisters—additionally, my hockey coaches, wrestling coaches and later my boxing coaches from amateur to professional).”

Facing even challenges unimaginable by people such as adolescents who were lucky enough to get a decent life, but this wasn’t going to stop Walker. He says, “For me, boxing gave me a sense of accomplishment, discipline and motivation. Meeting my partner in life and starting a family of our own is also a great contributor.” Even when facing the almost improbable odds, he still found an escape, a silver lining somewhere in the dirt. Still, not all was always good. Even though he seemed to save himself and become successful, he was also battling his own demons at that time, facing depression, severe anxiety and even suicidal thoughts, “Reaching out is a sign of strength, and things can be done to make life worth living. Give yourself that opportunity – accept help when offered and seek help when it is not offered, or you need it. Know that you will discover that you have depression, ADHD, dyslexia and PTSD that you’ll need support for. Do the work – your hard work pays off!”, he tells the Movember Association.

Tom Walker’s message is positive and shows that even through the darkest and difficult times, there’s always hope to be had and spirits to be raised.