A nurse practitioner at Advanced Urology Associates in Joliet is raising funds for a five-day trek to Machu Picchu in Peru to raise awareness and funds for prostate cancer support.

As part of the ZERO Peaks Challenge, Carrie DeFuss – a nurse practitioner and “longtime advocate for prostate cancer patients” – will climb thousands of feet in elevation along ancient Inca pathways and tackle the rugged Andes mountains, according to a news release from Advanced Urology Associates and DeFuss’s ZERO Peaks Challenge fundraising page.

DeFuss hopes to raise $30,000 in donations before the challenge in June. The money will support ZERO’s programs, including free PSA testing, patient navigation services, research, advocacy and nationwide support groups, according to the release.

“We’ll pass through cloud forests, cross rushing rivers and camp under the stars in the thin mountain air,” DeFuss said on her fundraising page. “Every step will be a physical challenge – steep ascents, rocky trails and unpredictable weather – but each mile will be powered by the men and families I’m climbing for.

“On the final day, I’ll stand at the Sun Gate overlooking Machu Picchu, knowing that together, we’ve turned every step into lifesaving impact.”

DeFuss has 25 years of experience in urology and leads a local ZERO prostate cancer support group.

According to ZERO:

• A man is diagnosed with prostate cancer every two minutes.

• 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime.

• Prostate cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death in men.

• A man dies from prostate cancer every 15 minutes.

• The relative five-year survival rate for prostate cancer diagnosed in its earliest stages is over 99%.

For more information, visit zerocancer.org and advuro.com.

To donate, visit support.zerocancer.org/goto/CarrieDeFuss.