The 45-year-old from Cavan town was in good health and he was not aware anything was wrong until routine blood tests at the GP revealed he had raised PSA (prostate-specific antigen) levels.

“I used to always get my bloods done and then obviously Covid came along and I hadn’t had them done in two or three years. I had no signs or symptoms but there was something in the back of my head to make a conscious decision get tested,” says Jonathan. “I went to the local GP and met with the nurse and she asked me if I’d even had the PSA done before. At the time I didn’t even know what it was and she said it was a case of just taking an extra blood sample, and I had no problem with that.”

When his results came back, they showed that Jonathan’s PSA levels were three times higher than they should be. He was advised to come back in two to three months for another test and the results this time showed his PSA levels were even higher.

In February 2022, Jonathan was referred to a urologist in Dublin and underwent an MRI scan and a biopsy. When the results of these came back, he received a diagnosis of prostate cancer and he is scheduled to have surgery in April, followed by further tests.

“I’m being told by so many people that I’m one of the lucky ones that it was caught early,” says Jonathan. “I would really like to share my story in the hope that other young men get their PSA done because it’s a simple blood test that can potentially save their lives.”

He has since seen the ripple effect of his diagnosis among his friends and wider circle of acquaintances.

“When I’m talking to people and they’re hearing the story, they’re all jumping on the phone straight away to get their bloods done, and all or a lot of my friends have since gotten tested,” he says.

“I want to get the message out there that men and young men need to get tested and it’s not something that’s intrusive. I wouldn’t have known this time last year that I could get prostate cancer but when you are diagnosed you begin to hear how common it is. If I can do anything for anybody, it’s to let them know that this test is so easy to get done and you’re just ticking a box, and it could make a big difference.”