The Story: How it All Began
Meet Ralph Franklin
Meet Ralph Franklin, a lawyer, entrepreneur, and family man. We get to know Ralph and his family. We learn that over his 57 years, he has rarely been sick. In fact, he has only been in the hospital twice—once as a kid and once in college. On the surface, Ralph appears to be a healthy, middle-aged Black man, but that is about to change.
Time to Get Insured
When Ralph’s sister-in-law dies of brain cancer, he is deeply shaken in ways he never anticipated. As he handles her estate, he wonders: What if it were me?
The logical lawyer in him springs into action. He updates his will. He increases his life insurance. He imagines his family’s future without him, just in case. Yet, he never imagines the real threat lurking within him—until a letter from his insurance company arrives.
The letter is brief, clinical, almost cold: PSA 100 – abnormal for cancer. The words grip him, and for the first time, Ralph contemplates his own mortality.
The First Prognosis
Confusion and fear rush in. Ralph makes a frantic call to his niece, who happens to be an oncology nurse, and she instructs him to see a urologist. He scours medical websites deep into the night, illuminated only by the glow of his laptop. Soon, tests confirm his worst fears: the cancer has spread, and the doctors predict he has about 18 months to 2 ½ years to live.
The words echo endlessly: 18 months to two years. Ralph, the man who planned every case, every business venture, every step of his life, suddenly has no control.
Getting Word Out: The Email
.On an unseasonably warm December morning in North Georgia, Ralph sits at his computer. His fingers hover over the keyboard as he crafts a message to his fraternity brothers of the Zeta Pi Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha. The fraternity’s listserv—meant for updates and alumni news—becomes his lifeline.
The email is transparent, honest, and heavy with emotion. He tells them about the cancer, the grim prognosis, and his fears. Above all, he asks for one thing: collective prayer. One section of Ralph’s message captures the fraternity bond like no other:
"Brothers, I am facing an 85% fatality rate. I need your prayers because I have to confront challenges which no one envies. I could have kept this private, but that is not what brotherhood means. Brotherhood is sharing—so if you are my brothers, I must share this with you.”
Transformative
The email not only informs but transforms. It turns isolation into community, despair into shared strength. Responses flood in—brothers offering encouragement, stories of survival, and medical advice. Then one message stands out: a doctor-fraternity brother recommends an Atlanta urologist, Dr. James Bennett, known for specializing in prostate cancer among African American men.
For Ralph, this is more than a referral—it’s hope carried by brotherhood. Not only that, it will become the catalyst for a prostate cancer awareness effort, forever linked to Ralph and his drive to make a difference.
Reggie's Story
Reggie Enters the Picture
The story takes an unexpected turn. Reggie, the documentary producer behind the camera, finds himself in front of it.
On his 51st birthday, he undergoes a biopsy—at first thinking it’s a mere precaution, maybe even useful footage for the film. He remains calm, professional, and even joking for the camera. But when the doctor enters holding a thick folder, the atmosphere shifts. His wife’s tears confirm what words have not yet said: it is cancer.
Reggie’s Results and Struggles
The diagnosis is both cruel and kind. The good news: his cancer is slow-growing, treatable, with a PSA of 2.2 and a Gleason score of 6. The bad news: Reggie has no health insurance.
As a self-employed television and radio producer, he faces the dual challenge of battling a life-threatening disease and figuring out how to pay for it. Faith and hope become his anchors. His story mirrors Ralph’s, but highlights another devastating truth: survival often depends not only on medicine, but also on access to care.Now begins the story of fear and faith.
The Story Continues
How will Ralph and Reggie handle this new challenge? This documentary is a powerful human drama of life’s ups and downs. Through this compelling story, viewers will witness real-life circumstances unfold to their unknown end. Along the way, the critical message of self-care and health education will reach those who need it most.
The two stories now become intertwined, each with its own challenges, but with a common bond of brotherhood and hope.