Dad who lost testicle to cancer throws it farewell Zoom party, does penis-shaped run and urges men to check themselves

A father who lost his right testicle to cancer threw a “farewell to righty” party, completed a penis-shaped run and is now taking on the London Marathon, urging men to take responsibility for their health.

Patrick Frank, 40, who is from Washington, DC, in the United States noticed his right testicle felt slightly harder than his left in early 2021 and after going for a check-up and undergoing tests, he was told he had a tumour and would need to have it removed.

Patrick, a founder of a video agency who now lives in Fulham, west London, was determined to stay “positive” and held a “farewell to righty” party on Zoom the night before his surgery the same year.

During the call, he played a video featuring illustrations that a friend created of his testicle through the years to the soundtrack of I Will Remember You by Sarah McLaughlin.

After the surgery, doctors confirmed the tumour was cancerous but had not spread, meaning the operation had successfully removed the cancer.

Now passionate about encouraging other men to seek support, he even did a “todger trot” – he ran a 27km route in the shape of a penis and testicles to raise awareness, which he recorded on Strava.

He is now due to run the London Marathon for The Robin Cancer Trust – a UK testicular, ovarian and germ cell cancer charity – to mark five years since his diagnosis.

Patrick, who lives with his wife, Alexandra, 40, and their two children, Ryan, eight, and Caleb, 11, told PA Real Life: “If you think anything feels off, don’t wait too long and go tell someone.

“I’m the best-case scenario, but if I didn’t go as early as I did, it could have spread.

“I think people need to also realise how lucky they are to have the NHS – it isn’t a financial decision to get medical help here.

“Be responsible – people depend on you and the best thing you can do for your friends and family and people who love you is to take care of yourself, and that involves going to the doctor when something feels a little off.”

While living in the United States in early 2021, Patrick noticed “something felt a little weird” with his right testicle.

He explained: “In some ways it felt typical, and in some ways it didn’t – I had no pain but it felt harder than normal.

“Just after thinking about it for a few weeks, and it still feeling the same, I thought I’d talk to someone about it.”

Due to the pandemic, he had missed his annual medical check-up in 2020, so he decided to book one in March 2021.

After undergoing a range of routine scans and blood tests, he mentioned that his testicle felt hard and his doctor referred him for an ultrasound at hospital.

Patrick said: “So, they’re moving the probe all around my business and the person doing it says they’re going to get their boss – so I thought she’s totally seen something.

“I just kind of knew at that point.

“The other doctor came in and did the scan again, and said they’d be in touch.”

The next day, Patrick’s doctor called to inform him he had a tumour on his testicle.

“I was kind of expecting it at that point and was just trying not to panic,” he said.

At a urology appointment three days later, he said he was told his testicle would need to be removed, as a biopsy could not be performed safely.

Patrick recalled leaving the appointment with a “million things going through (his) mind” and worrying the cancer may have spread, despite having no other symptoms.

His orchiectomy – surgery to remove the testicle – took place around three weeks later.

The night before the operation, he held a party on Zoom with around 20 friends and family members.

“I had a farewell to righty party because it was the right testicle they removed, and we had a big ‘R’ balloon,” Patrick explained.

“I have a friend who is a comic book artist and he made a character of my testicle and showed him through the ages – he made a baby testicle which turned into a teenage testicle that was skateboarding.

“I placed those testicle cartoons on photos of me growing up and made a little slideshow to the song ‘I Will Remember You’ by Sarah McLaughlin.”

Reflecting on how he felt after waking from surgery, he said: “I remember I had a lot of trouble breathing, and my throat hurt a lot because of the breathing tube that was in there.

“My wife was there and when we got home my kids were there – they were little but they understood it enough.

“We were really upfront about it with my eldest.”

Following the surgery, pathology on the removed testicle confirmed the tumour was cancerous.

He was told he had stage one testicular cancer, but it had not spread.

“To have that news all in one sentence was wild – yes, it was cancerous, but we got all of it,” Patrick added.

“I think it showed me how much redundancy the body has – if you lose a part, often there’s a back-up. Your body is more resilient than you may realise.

“My doctors said to me that I’ve still got one good testicle and I’d still be fertile, but I’ve already got kids.

“You can even get a prosthetic testicle – I didn’t have that offered to me though.

“My wife doesn’t really care – she doesn’t care if I have no testicles!”

Patrick said that it was “not a big deal” for him and he did not feel “emasculated”. and feels “totally fine” being open about having one testicle.

He hopes to encourage other men to “check themselves” and see a doctor if something feels wrong.

Since his diagnosis, he has had quarterly check-ups, later moving to annual appointments, to ensure the cancer has not spread.

He and his family moved to London in 2022 due to his wife’s job and he said the NHS has been “amazing”.

In 2023, a scan revealed an enlarged lymph node, but regular monitoring showed it had shrunk over time, so it was “not something to be concerned about”.

A few days after turning 40, in December 2025, he and a group of friends completed a 27km run in the shape of a penis and testicles across London while handing out The Robin Cancer Trust stickers.

On the day, they stopped for pints in pubs along the route and Patrick wore a “cardboard scrotum” around his neck.

He said: “Some people ran the full route with me but also we probably had 10 or 15 people drop by and run for different segments.

“Unfortunately, some people had to leave early, so they missed out on the last part of the shaft, but I got a perfect todger on my Strava!”

On April 26, he will run the London Marathon for The Robin Cancer Trust, which will be his sixth marathon, alongside the founder of the charity, Toby Freeman.

He is currently weightlifting twice a week and running around 30 miles per week, with his mileage increasing regularly as he trains.

He said: “Five years is a big milestone for cancer and I want it to be a celebration.

“I think the marathon will be like a reward and my victory lap – I’ve done all the work, would have raised the money, and I hope I just enjoy it.

“I’m hoping to break three hours and 30 minutes this time.

“I think I might get pretty emotional when I cross the finish line.”

Patrick is also hosting a comedy fundraiser for The Robin Cancer Trust called Bollocks to Cancer at Rich Mix in Shoreditch, London, on May 20.

To donate to his fundraiser, visit: https://www.justgiving.com/page/patrickisrunning.