Doug was diagnosed with breast cancer three days before his fiftieth birthday in January 2012. It was a shock. Doug was unaware of the existence of breast cancer in men until a day or two before the diagnosis.

Always an activist, Doug immediately started a blog , to raise awareness of men with breast cancer. Doug had a Mastectomy, his lymph glands removed, chemotherapy and finally radiotherapy. As soon as he was diagnosed he was given Tamoxifen and just before his first operation he discovered that he was type 2 diabetic. Tamoxifen, as with other patients, has affecting him negatively over the years and is thought to be the reason that he suffers from chronic fatigue syndrome.

The lack of support for men with breast cancer is something that had always concerned him. He met with Dr Kerry Quincey and they, with the support and help of many others, founded The Men’s VMU.

Doug has and continues to work with several charities and is happy to report that charities have become more supportive towards men with breast cancer. He is the proud father of five children and Doug hopes to be able to get back to writing and playing songs in the future. He supports Leyton Orient, and various Minnesotan sports teams with varying degrees of heartbreak.