71-year-old Whitby local Harald Harsveldt has never been afraid of making his mark and approaching life with a smile! Despite a prostate cancer diagnosis four years ago and ongoing treatments, his cheerful spirit and colourful shirts are a source of positivity which brighten up every day.

Harald was first diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2017 after annual health checks found his PSA was slowly rising from 2, to 3 and then 3.9. Although his doctor said his PSA wasn’t at a dangerous level, he was referred to a specialist for further scans and a biopsy.

“They discovered a pea size localised cancer in my prostate which was shining like a beacon on the scan. I was always more or less aware that I might be lucky, or I might be unlucky and receive a cancer diagnosis. In this case I was unlucky, but my cancer was small. I said okay, what are the best options for treatment,” Harald said.

“I was upset and shocked to learn Harald had cancer. I have been through breast cancer and I was lucky to just have a lumpectomy and radiation therapy afterwards. So far I have never looked back,” Ursula said.

“The experience gave me a positive outlook, and because Harald is positive we have managed to cope together through his diagnosis. It’s very important to be on the same wave length and to help each other.”

Harald’s doctor said he could either receive radiation therapy treatment or surgical removal of his prostate. After discussing the options with his wife, Harald and Ursula agreed that removing the cancer completely through surgery would give them both peace of mind. Two and a half years after the operation, which took place in April 2018, Harald’s PSA levels began to slowly rise again.

“My PSA had always been around 0.01 but began to creep back up. My urologist said it was very likely that there was still some cancer left where my prostate used to be and radiation therapy treatment would be the best solution,” Harald said.

After a PSMA-PET scan confirmed his cancer had returned, Harald was referred for 33 sessions of radiation therapy treatment at Bowen Icon Cancer Centre which he completed in November 2020, alongside three months of hormone therapy. He says that although he was concerned about possible side effects when he learned the cancer had come back, he had no worries about the thought of receiving radiation therapy at Bowen.

“I’m a strong believer in the medicine and equipment that is available now. Looking back 20 or 30 years ago this wouldn’t be possible! I’m so happy cancer treatment has come so far. I’m embracing it,” Harald said.

For Ursula, who has also undergone radiation therapy in the past, the advanced technology available at Bowen gave her confidence that Harald would receive the best possible treatment.

“When I had radiation therapy 12 years ago, the machine looked similar but wasn’t as advanced. The equipment at Bowen is very impressive. I can’t thank the team enough, they were very professional, compassionate, caring and kind to everyone who walked through their doors,” Ursula said.

Ursula and Harald would attend the centre every day together and make the most of their visits, often having a meal out afterwards to spoil themselves.

“33 sessions can appear to be a long time, but in hindsight it wasn’t too bad. It was only a 20 minute drive to get to the centre and parking wasn’t an issue. My attitude was that this is a place to get help. It was a fantastic team, they made things very easy. There were never any boring moments!” Harald said.

“I think Harald cheered everyone up at times! He would always wear colourful and lovely shirts which brightened the place up,” Ursula said.

“My attitude is that people always wear boring business shirts. John Lennon always wore colourful shirts but I couldn’t afford them in those days because I was a student. Now as a successful businessman I decided to bring them back! I have 35 shirts and not one is the same,” Harald said.

Looking back on his journey, Harald says his secret to staying positive has been focusing on what matters most.

“I think the most difficult part would have been my diagnosis, but I said ‘hang on! We are travelling to Mars, so there must be some way they can fix my cancer.’ I’ve been really positive from day one. I don’t know whether I will live to 100, but how I am now with a bounce in my step, working and with the right attitude, I think I’ll make the most of it! In the end, everything is mind over matter.”

For Harald, the future looks bright. He’s looking forward to spending time with Ursula, his son and daughter-in-law and eagerly awaits grandkids in the future.

“I was always positive and still am. I’m certainly approaching retirement this year or next year, so now it’s time for other hobbies I have. Life is too short to work too much! We had planned a few trips to Europe and Australia which were cancelled last year and this year, but we look forward to when COVID-19 is over and we are back travelling,” Harald said.

“I have my lovely wife of 45 years Ursula by my side; now we want to make it to our golden anniversary (50) or even 60. If we have tackled this, we’re looking for the diamond anniversary!”