Penrith: Rusty Penny brewery supports Movember fundraiser after James Hewett cancer diagnosis

A Sydney brewery has thrown its support behind the face of a popular beer after a shock cancer diagnosis changed his life “overnight”. This is how you can help.

A popular Penrith brewery is fundraising to support a familiar face to its customers following his sudden and shocking cancer diagnosis.

James Hewett, the namesake and the face of the Rusty Penny’s popular Pale James brew, was diagnosed with testicular cancer in August at the age of 32.

Mr Hewett is the brother of one of the brewery’s owners, Matt.

The venue has now pledged to support Mr Hewett’s Movember fundraiser by donating $2 for every four-pack or glass of Pale James beer sold throughout November.

In a touching video, Mr Hewett, who now lives in Western Australia, said he made the devastating discovery while showering on August 7, and his worst fears were quickly confirmed after a doctor’s visit the next day.

James Hewett was diagnosed with testicular cancer at 32. Picture: Supplied

“From there, (the doctors) sent me to the emergency room with an ultrasound and they found that it was a growth,” he said.

“We then did some further testing and scans and we found that it had spread.”

A special edition of the Rusty Penny's Pale James will be sold throughout November, with $2 from every four-pack or glass sold going towards a Movember fundraiser. Picture: Supplied

Mr Hewett underwent an operation on August 19 to remove one testicle and began the first of four rounds of chemotherapy.

His final round of treatment will be this Friday.

He said the scariest part of this type of cancer was that it went unnoticed because it was painless, which gave it time to grow undetected.

His first warning sign was hip and lower back pain, which he said he initially wrote off as a result of working as a tradesman.

The Rusty Penny’s venue in Penrith.

“It was sadly that was actually the cancer spreading into those lymph nodes in the back,” he said.

It wasn’t until the cancer had grown to the point of being identifiable that Mr Hewett realised the severity of the situation.

“I always thought that cancer was something to worry about later in life,” he said.

“I didn’t think it was something that you really need to be thinking of in your early 30s, but testicular cancer is something that gets young men, so it was something that I probably should have been thinking about every couple of months and checking.

“It was my own sort of misconception that cancer was for, you know, older people.”

He said it was incredibly important to raise awareness around testicular cancer, given how quickly it could develop.

“For me, it seemed to just happen overnight,” he said.

“Every week in those early stages is very important ... With men, we don’t typically go rushing straight to the doctor when you aren’t feeling right, and it really is important to get onto these things as quick as possible.”

Movember is an annual fundraising event aimed at raising awareness of men’s health issues.