Dads lost to ill health remembered in commemorative Father's Day cards
Father’s Day is around the corner, and many families will be celebrating the beloved father figures in their lives this Sunday (16 June).
The occasion also marks the end of International Men’s Health Week, which began on Monday 10 June. It is the perfect time to encourage men to look after themselves and talk openly about any concerns.
Men’s health charity Movember has created a special set of Father’s Day cards to commemorate the men lost to poor health and the families impacted by it. The set also aims to encourage more open conversations about men’s health.
Research commissioned by the charity found that less than a third (29%) speak about health and wellbeing with their fathers. However, they describe their fathers positively, with 33% saying their dads are funny, 34% calling them understanding, and 30% saying they are caring.
According to Movember, these figures highlight how the “culture of silence surrounding men’s health is still prevalent”.
Almost two in five (39%) of male deaths take place before 75 years of age, equivalent to more than 133,000 men across the UK who have died at too young an age. The charity also pointed out that the UK is one of only two countries in the G7 where male life expectancy has decreased since 2012.
Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that life expectancy has fallen for both males and females in the UK, largely due to the impact of the Covid pandemic.
The new statistics show that a boy born between 2020 and 2022 is expected to live to the age of 78.6, while a girl born in the same period is expected to live until she is 82.6 years old.
The commemorative set of seven cards is based on real stories of people who have lost their fathers too soon. They are illustrated by artist Andrew Rae and feature drawings and short poems based on the families’ favourite memories of their father.
The fathers of Beth Jones, Gareth Cox, Harry Cleary, Stevie Scott, Georgie Padley, Katy Martins, and Will Castle are remembered in the card set.
Michael Terry, CEO of Movember, said: “We’d like to thank all the families that contributed to the cards for their strength and courage in stepping forward and sharing their heartfelt stories.
“Because behind every poem and illustration is a tragic story of loss and despair that touches family, friends, and communities which is mirrored thousands of times over up and down the country.
“There has long been a misconception and stigma surrounding men’s health that has held people back from seeking help when it’s needed.
“And at a time when men’s health is taking a worrying dip against a backdrop of economic and social unrest, urgent collective action is needed to make men’s health a national priority, and for the next government to put this issue front and centre of their plans if we are to holt the unacceptable decline.”
Read more about men's health:
How to prevent low testosterone as study links it to early death (Yahoo Life UK, 5-min read)
How erectile dysfunction impacts men's mental health, according to new research (Yahoo Life UK, 4-min read)
Erectile dysfunction: Why it happens and how to cure this embarrassing problem (Yahoo Life UK, 6-min read)
