Mongrel Mob member Anaru 'Fats' Moke might want to consider a new nickname.
The 43-year-old from Lower Hutt does not want his 11 children to see him die early from diabetes, just like he saw his father go when he was a boy.
So now the man known as 'Fats' is busy getting fit, after a shock diabetes test put him at a "nearly lost my legs" level of health.
Fats Moke, 43, is a big man with a gang history who has worked with Dr Tom Mulholland to get his diabetes under control.
MONIQUE FORD/FAIRFAX NZ
Fats Moke, 43, is a big man with a gang history who has worked with Dr Tom Mulholland to get his diabetes under control.
Moke said he came out of college fit and enjoyed playing sport. But bone cancer in the form of multiple myeloma took him off the field.
READ MORE:
* Dr Tom comes home to the Hutt
* Dr Tom promotes healthy thinking
* Farmers learn how to look after themselves
* Moke leads Justice for Moko in Lower Hutt
"Going through chemotherapy, [taking] a lot of medication ... driving in and out of Wellington, getting tested everyday for four years - that contributed to my ankle injury and that's why I stopped playing sports," he said.
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Dr Tom on a Mission
Dr Tom Mullohand and his team have been helping Fats Moke with his diabetes to raise awareness for people who do not regularly see a doctor.
"I was really over taking medication ... so I stopped everything. Hence the reason I didn't get tested for diabetes."
Moke said he fell into a lifestyle that was too relaxing. He ate everything, drank everything and wound up hungover every Sunday morning.
But two months ago, he met Dr Tom Mulholland and his team at the Walter Nash Centre in Taita who are on a Ministry of Health-funded mission to pop-up with their makeshift 1988 V8 ambulance in communities around the country.
Fats Moke plays basketball with his son Rufus Moke, 11, at the Walter Nash Centre in Taita.
MONIQUE FORD/FAIRFAX NZ
Fats Moke plays basketball with his son Rufus Moke, 11, at the Walter Nash Centre in Taita.
The team are offering people blood tests for diabetes and heart disease who have not had themselves checked in the past few years.
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Over a six-week period they taught Moke about healthy shopping, exercise, and keeping his sugar levels in check.
"I just want to live. I want to see [my children's] 21sts, watch my mokos grow up, play rugby league ... take them on trips to the beach, take them diving. I just want to be there for them. Simple as that," Moke said.
Dr Tom Mulholland (let) was conducting health the checks outside the Walter Nash Centre in Taita when he met Mongrel Mob ...
SUPPLIED
Dr Tom Mulholland (let) was conducting health the checks outside the Walter Nash Centre in Taita when he met Mongrel Mob member Anaru 'Fats' Moke.Fats.
"I wanna be that example because I've got a lot of unhealthy whanau and friends."
About fifty people are diagnosed with diabetes everyday in this country. About 90 per cent of those cases are type-2 diabetes.
Dr Mulholland, who grew up in Lower Hutt, said nine out of ten cases of type-2 diabetes, such as Moke's, were preventable through diet and exercise.
"If we can do something with [Fats] now, we're more likely to save his life rather than waiting ten years down the track when I'm trying to amputate his legs or something."
Moke's blood sugar level was 20.2 but it should have been below 8. It is now down to 8.8.
The 43-year-old from Lower Hutt does not want his 11 children to see him die early from diabetes, just like he saw his father go when he was a boy.
So now the man known as 'Fats' is busy getting fit, after a shock diabetes test put him at a "nearly lost my legs" level of health.
Fats Moke, 43, is a big man with a gang history who has worked with Dr Tom Mulholland to get his diabetes under control.
MONIQUE FORD/FAIRFAX NZ
Fats Moke, 43, is a big man with a gang history who has worked with Dr Tom Mulholland to get his diabetes under control.
Moke said he came out of college fit and enjoyed playing sport. But bone cancer in the form of multiple myeloma took him off the field.
READ MORE:
* Dr Tom comes home to the Hutt
* Dr Tom promotes healthy thinking
* Farmers learn how to look after themselves
* Moke leads Justice for Moko in Lower Hutt
"Going through chemotherapy, [taking] a lot of medication ... driving in and out of Wellington, getting tested everyday for four years - that contributed to my ankle injury and that's why I stopped playing sports," he said.
Play
0:00
/
2:31
Share
Fullscreen
Dr Tom on a Mission
Dr Tom Mullohand and his team have been helping Fats Moke with his diabetes to raise awareness for people who do not regularly see a doctor.
"I was really over taking medication ... so I stopped everything. Hence the reason I didn't get tested for diabetes."
Moke said he fell into a lifestyle that was too relaxing. He ate everything, drank everything and wound up hungover every Sunday morning.
But two months ago, he met Dr Tom Mulholland and his team at the Walter Nash Centre in Taita who are on a Ministry of Health-funded mission to pop-up with their makeshift 1988 V8 ambulance in communities around the country.
Fats Moke plays basketball with his son Rufus Moke, 11, at the Walter Nash Centre in Taita.
MONIQUE FORD/FAIRFAX NZ
Fats Moke plays basketball with his son Rufus Moke, 11, at the Walter Nash Centre in Taita.
The team are offering people blood tests for diabetes and heart disease who have not had themselves checked in the past few years.
Ad Feedback
Over a six-week period they taught Moke about healthy shopping, exercise, and keeping his sugar levels in check.
"I just want to live. I want to see [my children's] 21sts, watch my mokos grow up, play rugby league ... take them on trips to the beach, take them diving. I just want to be there for them. Simple as that," Moke said.
Dr Tom Mulholland (let) was conducting health the checks outside the Walter Nash Centre in Taita when he met Mongrel Mob ...
SUPPLIED
Dr Tom Mulholland (let) was conducting health the checks outside the Walter Nash Centre in Taita when he met Mongrel Mob member Anaru 'Fats' Moke.Fats.
"I wanna be that example because I've got a lot of unhealthy whanau and friends."
About fifty people are diagnosed with diabetes everyday in this country. About 90 per cent of those cases are type-2 diabetes.
Dr Mulholland, who grew up in Lower Hutt, said nine out of ten cases of type-2 diabetes, such as Moke's, were preventable through diet and exercise.
"If we can do something with [Fats] now, we're more likely to save his life rather than waiting ten years down the track when I'm trying to amputate his legs or something."
Moke's blood sugar level was 20.2 but it should have been below 8. It is now down to 8.8.
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