Sask. woman sports 1st 'moustache' to honour father for Movember
MJ Deans-Beynham's father was diagnosed with Stage 4 prostate cancer almost 2 years ago
One Saskatchewan woman has been getting stares since putting herself in what is literally a hairy situation.
MJ Deans-Beynham has pledged to wear her first "moustache" for the month of November as part of the Movember fundraiser — and it will grow every time she gets a donation.
Her husband, Matthew, has previously raised funds through the annual charity event — which raises money for men's health issues by encouraging men to grow moustaches and collect pledges in the month of November.
Deans-Beynham decided to join this year to honour her father, Kim Deans, who was diagnosed with Stage 4 prostate cancer almost two years ago after a trip to the emergency room.
"There wasn't a lot of signs. We didn't notice a bunch of changes or anything until one day he couldn't walk. He went from doing amazing, to one day literally not being able to walk," said Deans-Beynham.
Doctors found the cancer had metastasized and created a tumour on his spine.
Now she's wearing a moustache that could rival her own father's to raise awareness about the cancer, which will affect one in nine Canadian men in their lifetime, according to Health Canada.
Deans-Beynham stresses early detection with regular check ups.
She said her father told her he felt "pretty proud" of her new facial feature and her fundraising efforts.
Every time someone gives her a donation through her profile on the Movember website, Deans-Beynham restyles her 'stache.
The first "facial hair" she sprouted was courtesy of an eyebrow pencil. It then evolved to curly whiskers drawn on with a Sharpie marker, and she's now sporting a thick, bushy, store-bought stick-on moustache.
"I forget sometimes that I have them on. I'm driving to work this morning and everybody was looking at me so weird," she said.
"[I thought], 'Why is everyone looking at me so weird?' Oh right! I am wearing a giant moustache."
While Deans-Beynham wears her 'stache, her husband shaved off his beard, joining his co-workers to grow their own moustaches and raise money for Movember.
"I decided I am going to raise more than my husband," said Deans-Beynham.
Her husband initially set his goal to $1,000, so Deans-Beynham set hers at $1,100. Her husband has since upped his goal to $1,101.
"Everybody laughs at me and rolls their eyes and thinks I'm weird, but I have so far raised more money than him, so I think it's working," she said.
Deans-Beynham has been having so much fun styling her moustaches that she says she plans to continue her fundraising each Movember — and she's also inspired her 10-year-old daughter to start wearing her own.