Howie Morrison Junior: Bowel cancer is personal. It killed two of my uncles and tried to take my wife

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Māori singer and entertainer Howie Morrison Junior often tells jokes during his entertainment shows.

Like his dad, the late, great Sir Howard Morrison, the singing voice and gift of the gab apple didn't fall too far from the entertainment tree.

But mention bowel cancer and that's not something Morrison Junior will ever joke about, having seen first-hand how devastating any cancer - particularly bowel cancer - can be.

"My mum's two brothers died of bowel cancer and more recently my wife was diagnosed with the disease," Morrison told the Herald.

"So bowel cancer has certainly visited my whānau and left deadly and lasting impressions."

Morrison is supporting the launch of a National Bowel Screening Programme (NBSP), where some humour will be used to tackle an often humourless subject.

Morrison's wife, Wai, was diagnosed in 2020 with bowel cancer and underwent an intense five-week cancer treatment programme in Hamilton. That relegated Morrison to house husband and stay-at-home dad to their youngest son, Haane, 6.

"You can not say enough about the lodge where Wai stayed in Hamilton but it was a very stressful time for all of us," Morrison said.

"I would drop her there on a Monday and pick her up for home on a Friday. The good part was all of the residents were going through the same thing and learned from each other.

"I soon realised that life goes on and the world doesn't stop because someone is sick."

Howard Morrison Junior and the great Rotorua outdoors. Photo / NZME

While the treatment initially worked, a four-month check-up found the cancer re-emerging and the only solution was to remove Wai's bowel.

Two years on, the couple considers themselves fortunate and is today supporting the message for Māori and Pacific people to get bowel cancer check-ups.

The kaupapa encourages Kiwis aged between 60 and 74 to do a simple, free test that can help detect bowel cancer. The bowel screening test is quick, easy, and done at home.

The participation rates for Māori and Pacific peoples are lower than the overall
participation rate for the NBSP.

Each year, around 1200 Kiwis die from bowel cancer among the 3400 who are routinely diagnosed.

"Go and get checked out. Do it for yourself and do it for your whānau," Morrison said.