Actress and TV presenter Kym Marsh has shared how her father's prostate cancer diagnosis 'broke' her family and was discovered too late. Dave Marsh passed away at the age of 74 in 2024 after a three-year battle with the disease, which had spread to other parts of his body after he delayed seeing a doctor during the pandemic.
Heartbreaking Revelation
Marsh, 49, formerly of Coronation Street, has since worked to keep her father's legacy alive and raise awareness for prostate cancer. She emphasized how a diagnosis can be 'so devastating to a family' if found too late. Speaking to the Press Association, she described her father as the 'don of the family,' adding: 'He was only little in terms of his height, but he had the heart of a lion. He was just dad. He was everything to everyone – he was brave, funny and so supportive. He adored the bones of my mum, they were so close. They were always together.'
Marsh said her mother, Pauline, has been 'left devastated' since her husband of 60 years died. 'When we found out dad was terminally ill and his cancer was incurable, it broke us. Nothing seemed to get him down. If he had been ill, he would get back up again. But he said to us: “This is a fight I’m going to lose, I can’t beat this one.” That was devastating to hear him say that, and for us to realise that was really heartbreaking.'
Continuing the Fight
Marsh noted that 'trying to help other people' was the first thing her dad wanted to do after his diagnosis. The pair campaigned to raise awareness in the years leading up to his death. Marsh and her family have continued this mission, with her son-in-law Mikey Hoszowskyj running the TCS London Marathon in 2024 to raise funds for Prostate Cancer UK.
'We’ve done everything we can to make sure that dad’s legacy is continuing, and that his memory lives on and to hopefully help other people. When we come together as a family, we all do very much feel like he’s with us. He is always in our memories. I strongly believe that my dad is always with us, on everything that we do,' Marsh told the Press Association.
The former Hear'Say singer also expressed deep emotion when her future daughter-in-law, Carmen Dickinson, offered to run the London Marathon on Sunday in memory of her father. 'Carmen never met my dad, but it’s just so lovely she wants to do this for us and for him, and for prostate cancer. It just was so gorgeous. It’s a very personal journey that we all went on with dad and for her to do this means such a lot to us. She has got such a good heart. We’ll all be heading down there to cheer her on. She’s a gorgeous girl, and I know she’s gonna absolutely smash it.'
Raising Awareness
The Whiston-born actress said she and her family raise awareness for prostate cancer to bring 'something positive' out of her father’s death. 'It is so devastating to a family. It was devastating to us and to my dad to think that he’d left it too late. And that’s something we don’t want to happen to anyone else.'
Prostate Cancer UK states that the condition is the most common cancer in men, with one in eight receiving a diagnosis in their lifetime. Risk increases for those over 50, black men, or those with a family history. The NHS notes that prostate cancer develops slowly, often with no signs for years, but symptoms may include an increased need to urinate, straining while urinating, and a feeling that the bladder has not fully emptied.
