Iain Johnston
Iain is a successful successful entrepreneur and a survivor of prostate and lung cancer. He is passionate about educating men about prostate cancer. He has headed our patient affairs division since it was established in 2015.
Thulani Sibisi
Winner of the 1986 Two Oceans Marathon, Thulani is used to hardship. From humble rural beginnings he worked his way up to become one of the top marathon runners of the 80’s. But his greatest challenge has been his journey with prostate cancer. (See his full story in our Faces of Prostate Cancer Section). He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2012 and since then he has used every platform available to educate men about this devastating disease. His efforts have made a massive difference to opening the subject of prostate cancer.
KZN Patient Affairs Board
Our KZN chairman, Dumisani Pakkies was born in Umlazi, Durban in 1969. After matriculating at Ogwini Comprehensive High School in Umlazi, he studied to be an accountant and obtained a B Com Accounting degree. He has held various accounting positions with different companies. The longest stint was with Vodacom where he worked as an Accountant, Senior Accountant, and a Project Accountant for 12 years.
He was diagnosed with stage 3 Prostate Cancer in December 2020 whilst still in his early fifties and whilst working as a Payroll Senior Accountant with RCL Foods. He began treatment in February 2021 with androgen deprivation therapy followed by brachytherapy and external beam radiation therapy.
This therapy took a heavy toll on his health, and he left his job to recover from the side effects of the treatment.
He attributes his survival to his passion for running which he says has taught him perseverance and discipline. He is married to Nompumelelo and resides in Forest Hills in Durban. He is the father of two boys and a girl. He is a music lover and a collector of vinyl records.
He joined the Prostate Cancer Foundation out of a concern about the lack of awareness about prostate cancer and the importance of screening for early detection. He was joined by his friend Sibongiseni Nxumalo who shares his passion for raising awareness about prostate cancer and the importance of age and risk appropriate screening. During their first year of serving as volunteers (2023,) they have travelled extensively throughout KZN and nationally, speaking to thousands of men about prostate cancer.
Paddy O’Brian
Ex school principal and now a successful entrepreneur, Paddy discovered that he had stage 3 prostate cancer after undergoing surgery to treat a procedure for an enlarged prostate. Before undergoing a robotic prostatectomy he felt the need to interact with men who had been on this journey. This resulted in the establishment of a highly successful e-mail support group which now has over 80 members. He joined The Prostate Cancer Foundation in 2019 as our Western Cape Patient Affairs Board Chairman.
