Posted on the 7th August 2025 in PHTM News
GRIMSBY TAXI DRIVER CYCLES FOR CHARITY AFTER PROSTATE CANCER JOURNEY
A Grimsby taxi driver, Ronnie Gibson, swapped his cab for a bicycle to raise over £2,000 for a hospital charity after successfully being treated for prostate cancer.
Gibson, who was diagnosed in May 2024, undertook a 12-day cycling challenge from Belfast to Dublin to raise awareness and funds for the Hull-based WISHH (Working Independently to Support Hull Hospitals) charity.
Battling "atrocious" weather, a puncture, and even an "attacked by midges," Gibson persevered on his journey. His wife, Linda, set up a JustGiving page that has so far raised £2,154.
Linda paid tribute to the "spot-on" care Gibson received at the Queens Centre at Castle Hill Hospital, which is supported by WISHH.
Inspired to help other prostate cancer patients, Gibson shared his own story of diagnosis. He explained that before the pandemic, he began having issues "with my waterworks." He credits a chance encounter with a consultant he was driving in his taxi for prompting him to be insistent with his GP about getting a PSA test.
"He said 'go to your GP; tell him you want a PSA test'," Gibson recalled. He was told to also ask for an ultrasound and an MRI scan.
Gibson emphasised the importance of being proactive, noting that he had to demand testing instead of just being monitored. He recalled that other patients he met with similar diagnoses "had all had to demand a PSA test."
He now tells all his taxi passengers, "you don’t even need to have symptoms to ask for a PSA test."
The NHS website states that while routine PSA testing isn't offered, men aged 50 or over can request one from their GP, even without symptoms.
The funds raised by Gibson will help WISHH provide additional equipment and support services to patients and their families at Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospitals.
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