A SPECIAL constable has spoken about his battle with cancer in a bid to raise awareness.

Mikey Mihalyfi, 28, is the Community Special Constable for Halstead and has been a Special since July 2018.

However, almost exactly a year after joining, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer.

Mikey said in January 2019 after he signed up with fellow Specials for the Three Peaks Challenge.

A few months later while out for a run, he says he first noticed pain in his groin.

He said: “I thought nothing of it and put it down to the running and exercising I was now doing.

“I couldn’t have been more wrong.”

Still training for the Three Peaks, Mikey one day found himself in agonising pain.

He added: “My right testicle was at least double the size it should have been and I could hardly walk without pain.

“I got a doctor’s appointment for the following day.

“The next six weeks were a blur. Within a week I’d moved into my new home, been to the hospital twice, seen a consultant and had a scan.

“Within a month, I had an orchidectomy and my right testicle was removed.

“I had complications and the cancer spread to some lymph nodes which blocked and damaged my kidney.

“But in January, I began chemotherapy at St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London so I was under good care with the top doctors.

“Chemo finished right before lockdown in March and I’ve had regular check-ups.

“I can’t help but wonder what the outcome would’ve been if I’d seen a doctor when I first noticed those pains.”

Now Mikey is urging men to check themselves to avoid going through what he did.

Mikey said: “There’s a lot in the news about women’s health, particularly about cancer and the importance of breast screening.

“Women certainly find it easier to talk about their issues and health in general than men do but we need to think about why this is and how we can get men to change.

“The point I’m making is the importance of checking yourself regularly and, if something isn’t right, speaking to someone.

“There’s only one person who truly knows their own body, and that’s you.

“Growing up, I never spoke about things like that with anyone so I never did any checks or comparisons.

“I urge everyone to do this and, most importantly, to talk to your children about it as they grow up.

“I urge everyone to do this and to talk to your children about it as they grow up. Cancer doesn’t only target adults.

“Talking is so important when it comes to health and personal issues such as this.”

After what has been the toughest year of his life, Mikey says his friends are what helped him cope.

He added: “I’ve got some really good friends who have helped me through probably the most important year of my life and I don’t know how I would have done it without them.

“I also had welfare support from Essex Police - particularly my friends within the force but also from the organisation itself.

“And I also had some support from the Essex Police Benevolent Fund charity.”

Mikey spoke out as part of Movember.

The annual campaign aims to raise awareness of male mental health issues and suicide prevention, as well as testicular and prostate cancer.

The movement also fund groundbreaking projects all over the world.

Peter Crouch, Sir Mo Farah, Dermot O’Leary and Russell Tovey are among the famous faces who appeared in a series of celebrity portraits for the 2020 Movember campaign.