As I noted in the previous post, April is Parkinson’s and Autism Awareness Month and I warned you that I will try to post more frequently this month. Who knows, that might get me to post more frequently every month.
For those who are wondering about my interest in Autism, I have a grandson, Charlie, who was diagnosed as being on the Autism Spectrum when he was 3. He is 14 now and will be going to high school next year. The work done by Autism Speaks and other organizations to increase Autism awareness and research were instrumental in his early diagnoses and subsequent treatment. The information that these organizations provide to caregivers and patients is invaluable. We have found the same to be true of the Parkinson’s organizations.
For those of you that supported the Parkinson’s Action Network (PAN) campaign to remove the Medicare therapy caps, I and PAN thank you for your support. Unfortunately Congress ‘kicked the can’ down the road and passed an extension of the current law for another year, but we will keep trying!
For those of you wondering what went on this week, it wasn’t all fun! I was originally scheduled for a colonoscopy the Monday after the Superbowl. I decided to reschedule it so the preparation and fasting would not interfere with me watching the Broncos win (well it was a good idea at the time). The rescheduled event was for this Monday so I went through the fasting and other prep on Sunday but when Monday morning rolled around, things were not as clean as they should be so….I did it the fasting and prep again on Monday so they could redo things Tuesday morning. This time it worked and no problems were found which was good news. Also because having Parkinson’s makes you more likely to have melanoma, I had the first of my now annual visits with the Dermatologist, again all was well.
On the positive side, we had several nice days resulting in evenings on the screen porch enjoying the lake, the sunset and music. Now that things are warming up, I’m ready for the lake level to rise so I can do some fishing and boating.
Tomorrow is the local Parkinson’s Unity Walk and we are hoping for nice weather. We appreciate the support we have received, thank you. I’ll let you know how it all goes in the next post.
When I was first diagnosed, I had mixed feelings about attending a support group. I wondered if we sat in a circle and I said “Hi, I’m Tom and I have Parkinson’s” (Hiiii Tom). Was there a 12 step program for dealing with Parkinson’s? 😉 And I was worried that seeing PWP’s with a wide range of symptoms would be like seeing my future. But as I learned more about Parkinson’s I realized that it is a progressive disease that affects everyone of us in different ways and no two seem to be alike. And, as we learned at the Kripalu retreat and in Florida, it is helpful to meet other PWP’s and caregivers to trade experiences, share coping strategies, and for a sense of community
So, last week we attended two local support groups, The East Tennessee Parkinson’s Support Group and the local Kingston Support Group. Both groups meet at a local church, both meetings included lunch and both provided us with a positive experience.
The East Tennessee Parkinson’s Support Group, PK Hope is Alive, met on Tuesday in Oak Ridge. There were probably 60 – 70 people in attendance pretty much evenly divided between PWP’s and caregivers. We opened with some voice exercises led by one of the PWP which included some singing. I didn’t have a signing voice before Parkinson’s and it sure hasn’t improved, but it was fun. After lunch they introduced Dr.Scott Wylie Ph.D from Vanderbilt University Movement Disorders Clinic, a National Parkinson’s Foundation Center of Excellence. He gave a fascinating presentation on “Cognitive Changes in the Parkinson’s Patient”. He and his research group are doing research about the effect too little or too much dopamine can have on cognitive functions.
Dr Wylie pointed out that James Parkinson, in his 1817 ‘Essay on the Shaking Palsy” described the disease as ” Involuntary tremulous motion, with lessened muscular power, in parts not in action and even when supported; with a propensity to bend the trunk forward, and to pass from a walking to a running pace: the senses and intellects being uninjured.” (Underline added) He expects that last bit would be revised if James Parkinson were alive today.
While most of us were aware that lack of dopamine is at the root of our motor symptoms, his research has shown that it may also have an impact on our cognitive symptoms too. I hope to get a copy of his presentation and will provide more information in a later post. After the presentation, he answered questions from the group which meant we didn’t get an opportunity to break out into smaller groups of PWP’s and caregivers for discussion but the meeting was fun and we plan to attend again.
The local Kingston Support Group met on Wednesday. We first heard about this group during a Tai Chi lesson when someone mentioned that they were aware a group met in the same space but didn’t know the day or time. So I had planned to call the church when we returned from Florida to get the information but, as luck would have it, the Monday edition of our local paper made mention of the meeting’s day and time. We found out later that they had been trying to get it published for quite awhile and Monday was the first time it was finally inserted in the community calendar page.
This group was quite a bit smaller than the Oak Ridge group. There were about sixteen attendee’s including another couple who were there for the first time after seeing the mention in the paper. We sat around three tables and had a great opportunity to discuss symptoms, medications, exercises and care giving tips while enjoying lunch. After lunch we had a short presentation by the founder of the group who is a speech pathologist and had just returned from a conference. She gave us some tips on how to stand erect and a simple stretching routine that will strengthen the neck muscles and help prevent problems with swallowing. Again an interesting and informative meeting and we will attend again.
So I didn’t have to announce my problems to the group(s) and I didn’t see my future, but I did get a lot of good information and a chance to meet other PWP’s and caregivers and exchange information.
We have been working at keeping up the exercise routine since we have been home and are doing pretty well, averaging about an hour a day. We continue to walk or ride the bike and try to include either Tai Chi or Yoga routines everyday. We purchased another Tai Chi DVD that is more advanced and not quite as easy to follow but we are getting there. Yoga continues to be difficult with my stiff muscles but I know continuing it will help me to gain flexibility and it will get easier (I hope).
April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month and I hope to post informational items as the month progresses. We will be walking in the East TN Parkinson’s Walk on April 5th. This walk is the local version of the Parkinson’s Unity Walk held in NYC April 26th. One hundred percent of the funds raised are donated to Parkinson’s research foundations. You can find out more about the walk by clicking here or if you wish to support our team, you can click here.
April is also Autism Awareness Month, another cause that is important to me, so next month’s posts should be chock full of information!
We are on our third week of hanging at the beach in Siesta Key, FL We were scheduled to leave on March 1 but decided to add one more week. We had to change units but the move was easy and we get another week away from the cold weather predicted again for Eastern Tennessee.
While we are here we have met up with Judy and Fred Metz, old high school friends of Mara’s for a nice meal and a walk on the beach. They recently relocated to the area from Washington DC and live in a lovely home on Sarasota Bay.
We have also joined up several times with Joel Gordon and his wife Rabbi Melissa Wenig whom we first met at the Kripalau Wellness Retreat last October. They came down from Cambridge, MA in January and are staying until May. It has been a great opportunity to discuss how Parkinson’s has impacted our lives with another PwP. One of our outings was to the Venice Rookery, a small island on a small lake in Venice where hundreds of Egrets, Herons and other birds roost at night. We went at sunset and watched the flocks fly in from where ever and take up residence in the bushes on the island. This picture gives you an idea but doesn’t do justice to the whole experience.
After the Rookery, we paid a visit to Olaf’s ice cream shop in SiestaKey Village. Yum!
The warm weather has been great, allowing us to get out more and we have upped our exercise to at least 1.5 hours a day, primarily walking along the beach and doing Tai Chi which we both enjoy, in fact we ordered the next DVD so we can expand our practice. We have been averaging 4 – 5 miles per day walking on the beach, plus walking to our favorite restaurant, Captain Curt’s, for a spot of their world famous clam chowder for lunch! I have definitely noticed improvement in my walking and balance with the warm weather and increased exercise.
We also have started doing Yoga using Introduction to Yoga and Meditation, a DVD by one of our instructors from Kripalu, Megha-Nancy Buttenheim. The meditation instruction is great and the yoga practice is challenging for my stiff limbs 🙂
In between all of the exercising, I’ve found time to complete more of my genetics course, enjoy many a beautiful sunset, catch up on my magazines, read a few books, and enjoy the beach. We have rented a cabana chair for the week and we spend a few hours each day out on the beach reading, soaking up the Vitamin D and people watching. Oh and I finally found time to complete a blog post!!
We head home Saturday and hope that spring arrives at the same time 🙂
Until next time, I end with one of my favorite quotes by Virginia Satir- “Life is not the way it’s supposed to be.. It’s the way it is.. The way we cope with it, is what makes the difference.”
It has been over 4 months since my last post and it will take a couple of posts just to catch you up on what’s been happening this summer. But first I wish to pay tribute to Tom Isaacs, co-founder of the Cure Parkinson’s Trust in the UK, who passed away suddenly May 31st at the age of 49.
We first met Tom at the Rally to the Challenge held at the Van Andel Institute in Grand Rapids in 2014 and again in 2015. In 2016 we were present at the World Parkinson’s Congress in Portland where Tom received the award for Distinguished Contributions to the Parkinson’s Community.
Each time we came away inspired by his vision, by his energy and his sense of humor. Tom always had a smile, always had a new idea, and was always leading the way to a cure for PD. His optimism and enthusiasm were contagious and his boundless energy put the Energizer Bunny to shame. It is hard to picture a world without Tom Isaacs and his determination to find a cure for PD.
The obituary printed below is from the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease, vol. 7, no. 3, pp. 409-410, 2017 and was published August 8, 2017.
Tom Isaacs was diagnosed with Parkinson’s at the young age of 26 and worked tirelessly to challenge the view that Parkinson’s was incurable, raising funds for research to trial new treatments and becoming one of the most well-known and popular international patient advocates. Having completed a successful 1,250 mile sponsored walk in 1999, Tom was determined to use his Parkinson’s to achieve more in life than he could have done without it, leaving his job as Director of a London property company to undertake his Coastin’ challenge to raise funds for Parkinson’s research. He walked 4,500 miles around the British coastline, climbed the highest mountains in England, Scotland and Wales and ran the Flora London Marathon, raising over £350,000 for Parkinson’s research. He wrote a book, Shake Well Before Use about his walk and his experiences living with Parkinson’s which he conveys with passion, optimism and humour. In 2004 he was awarded UK Charity Personality of the Year and a year later he helped to co-found The Cure Parkinson’s Trust (CPT), a patient-led charitable organisation of which he was President. The name alone challenged the view that Parkinson’s was incurable. “I still maintain that one day I will be able to insert the word ‘used to’ when I say I have Parkinson’s.” Tom said. Over ten years on and under Tom’s guidance, CPT is recognised as a key player in the world of research and has funded over $7.4 million of Parkinson’s research projects. In the early days of CPT, Tom and the charity’s Director of Research and Development Dr Richard Wyse, forged ahead with international collaborations. The first was with Patrik Brundin (of the Van Andel Institute in Grand Rapids, Michigan) who they approached about developing a research programme to re-purpose existing drugs and investigate their potential to slow, stop or reverse Parkinson’s. Dr Brundin described Tom as “a beacon of light who guided us all doing Parkinson’s research, keeping us on track.” This project became the Linked Clinical Trials (LCT) initiative, now driven by a 14-strong international Committee of neurologists and Parkinson’s researchers. LCT is in its fifth year and to date there are eight drugs within the trial programme. Once described as “the most expert patient” Tom was able to take part in scientific discussions at the highest level and his passion, charm and single-mindedness helped him earn the respect and support of such leading Parkinson’s researchers as Dr Patrik Brundin and Professors Andrew Lees, Anders Bjorkland, Roger Barker and Steven Gill. Tom worked closely and successfully with many international organisations including the Van Andel Research Institute and the Michael J Fox Foundation. He was also a Board Member of the European Parkinson’s Disease Association from 2005 until 2010. Tom was the first person with Parkinson’s to speak at the World Parkinson Congress in 2006. He has attended and presented at every WPC since and was also the patient representative on the Steering Committee and chaired the Patient Advocacy Committee for the World Parkinson Congress in 2010 and 2013. “He was a leader from the day of his diagnosis and he dreamed about helping others with PD to also become leaders to march alongside him in his journey to end Parkinson’s disease.” says Eli Pollard, Executive Director of the World Parkinson Coalition. At the 2016 World Parkinson Congress, Tom was awarded the inaugural prize for Distinguished Contribution to the Parkinson’s Community. He was also a leading contributor to the SENSE-PARK project in 2011, a European funded initiative which established more personalised, objective measuring devices for people with Parkinson’s and those who treat them. He co-founded Parkinson’s Movement, which provided a voice for people with Parkinson’s and has made progress in addressing some of the problems experienced in clinical trials – in particular, recruitment and outcome measures. In 2012 Tom was awarded the prestigious, Dr Rana International Parkinson’s Community Service Award and was also one of the torchbearers in the run up to the 2012 Olympic Games. Tom has written articles and been published in the Lancet Neurology, the Journal of Clinical Investigations and the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease for which he was on the editorial board. He was married to Lyndsey, an acupuncturist and former nurse who fully embraced Tom’s vision and was an advocate for Parkinson’s in her own right. Her phenomenal support for Tom enabled them to travel extensively to attend conferences and meetings at which Tom gave speeches and presentations about the urgent need for a cure, the power of advocacy in research and the impact of living with Parkinson’s. Tom and Lyndsey not only shared a vision but also a wonderful sense of humour, friendship and fun. Perhaps most important of all, Tom inspired people with Parkinson’s, giving hope that a cure will be found and a belief that the patient voice was being heard. He spoke openly about his condition and helped fellow patients understand they were not alone, describing hope as ‘the best medicine of all.’ As one CPT supporter said, “The PD world has lost a hero and a trailblazer.” Tom Isaacs, co-founder and President of The Cure Parkinson’s Trust was born on April 2 1968 and died on May 31st, 2017, aged 49.
As you can see from his obituary, Tom was a visionary with a unique ability to pull together the people needed to make a vision become a reality. He was one of my Everyday Hero’s and, while he will be missed, his vision to find a cure will continue on through the work of the Cure Parkinson’s Trust.
Stay tuned for my next post and we will start to catch up on what else has been happening for the last four months!
“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” – Confucius
It has been over 4 months since my last post and it will take a couple of posts just to catch you up on what’s been happening this summer. But first I wish to pay tribute to Tom Isaacs, co-founder of the Cure Parkinson’s Trust in the UK, who passed away suddenly May 31st at the age of 49.
We first met Tom at the Rally to the Challenge held at the Van Andel Institute in Grand Rapids in 2014 and again in 2015. In 2016 we were present at the World Parkinson’s Congress in Portland where Tom received the award for Distinguished Contributions to the Parkinson’s Community.
Each time we came away inspired by his vision, by his energy and his sense of humor. Tom always had a smile, always had a new idea, and was always leading the way to a cure for PD. His optimism and enthusiasm were contagious and his boundless energy put the Energizer Bunny to shame. It is hard to picture a world without Tom Isaacs and his determination to find a cure for PD.
The obituary printed below is from the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease, vol. 7, no. 3, pp. 409-410, 2017 and was published August 8, 2017.
Tom Isaacs was diagnosed with Parkinson’s at the young age of 26 and worked tirelessly to challenge the view that Parkinson’s was incurable, raising funds for research to trial new treatments and becoming one of the most well-known and popular international patient advocates. Having completed a successful 1,250 mile sponsored walk in 1999, Tom was determined to use his Parkinson’s to achieve more in life than he could have done without it, leaving his job as Director of a London property company to undertake his Coastin’ challenge to raise funds for Parkinson’s research. He walked 4,500 miles around the British coastline, climbed the highest mountains in England, Scotland and Wales and ran the Flora London Marathon, raising over £350,000 for Parkinson’s research. He wrote a book, Shake Well Before Use about his walk and his experiences living with Parkinson’s which he conveys with passion, optimism and humour. In 2004 he was awarded UK Charity Personality of the Year and a year later he helped to co-found The Cure Parkinson’s Trust (CPT), a patient-led charitable organisation of which he was President. The name alone challenged the view that Parkinson’s was incurable. “I still maintain that one day I will be able to insert the word ‘used to’ when I say I have Parkinson’s.” Tom said. Over ten years on and under Tom’s guidance, CPT is recognised as a key player in the world of research and has funded over $7.4 million of Parkinson’s research projects. In the early days of CPT, Tom and the charity’s Director of Research and Development Dr Richard Wyse, forged ahead with international collaborations. The first was with Patrik Brundin (of the Van Andel Institute in Grand Rapids, Michigan) who they approached about developing a research programme to re-purpose existing drugs and investigate their potential to slow, stop or reverse Parkinson’s. Dr Brundin described Tom as “a beacon of light who guided us all doing Parkinson’s research, keeping us on track.” This project became the Linked Clinical Trials (LCT) initiative, now driven by a 14-strong international Committee of neurologists and Parkinson’s researchers. LCT is in its fifth year and to date there are eight drugs within the trial programme. Once described as “the most expert patient” Tom was able to take part in scientific discussions at the highest level and his passion, charm and single-mindedness helped him earn the respect and support of such leading Parkinson’s researchers as Dr Patrik Brundin and Professors Andrew Lees, Anders Bjorkland, Roger Barker and Steven Gill. Tom worked closely and successfully with many international organisations including the Van Andel Research Institute and the Michael J Fox Foundation. He was also a Board Member of the European Parkinson’s Disease Association from 2005 until 2010. Tom was the first person with Parkinson’s to speak at the World Parkinson Congress in 2006. He has attended and presented at every WPC since and was also the patient representative on the Steering Committee and chaired the Patient Advocacy Committee for the World Parkinson Congress in 2010 and 2013. “He was a leader from the day of his diagnosis and he dreamed about helping others with PD to also become leaders to march alongside him in his journey to end Parkinson’s disease.” says Eli Pollard, Executive Director of the World Parkinson Coalition. At the 2016 World Parkinson Congress, Tom was awarded the inaugural prize for Distinguished Contribution to the Parkinson’s Community. He was also a leading contributor to the SENSE-PARK project in 2011, a European funded initiative which established more personalised, objective measuring devices for people with Parkinson’s and those who treat them. He co-founded Parkinson’s Movement, which provided a voice for people with Parkinson’s and has made progress in addressing some of the problems experienced in clinical trials – in particular, recruitment and outcome measures. In 2012 Tom was awarded the prestigious, Dr Rana International Parkinson’s Community Service Award and was also one of the torchbearers in the run up to the 2012 Olympic Games. Tom has written articles and been published in the Lancet Neurology, the Journal of Clinical Investigations and the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease for which he was on the editorial board. He was married to Lyndsey, an acupuncturist and former nurse who fully embraced Tom’s vision and was an advocate for Parkinson’s in her own right. Her phenomenal support for Tom enabled them to travel extensively to attend conferences and meetings at which Tom gave speeches and presentations about the urgent need for a cure, the power of advocacy in research and the impact of living with Parkinson’s. Tom and Lyndsey not only shared a vision but also a wonderful sense of humour, friendship and fun. Perhaps most important of all, Tom inspired people with Parkinson’s, giving hope that a cure will be found and a belief that the patient voice was being heard. He spoke openly about his condition and helped fellow patients understand they were not alone, describing hope as ‘the best medicine of all.’ As one CPT supporter said, “The PD world has lost a hero and a trailblazer.” Tom Isaacs, co-founder and President of The Cure Parkinson’s Trust was born on April 2 1968 and died on May 31st, 2017, aged 49.
As you can see from his obituary, Tom was a visionary with a unique ability to pull together the people needed to make a vision become a reality. He was one of my Everyday Hero’s and, while he will be missed, his vision to find a cure will continue on through the work of the Cure Parkinson’s Trust.
Stay tuned for my next post and we will start to catch up on what else has been happening for the last four months!
“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” – Confucius
It has been over 4 months since my last post and it will take a couple of posts just to catch you up on what’s been happening this summer. But first I wish to pay tribute to Tom Isaacs, co-founder of the Cure Parkinson’s Trust in the UK, who passed away suddenly May 31st at the age of 49.
We first met Tom at the Rally to the Challenge held at the Van Andel Institute in Grand Rapids in 2014 and again in 2015. In 2016 we were present at the World Parkinson’s Congress in Portland where Tom received the award for Distinguished Contributions to the Parkinson’s Community.
Each time we came away inspired by his vision, by his energy and his sense of humor. Tom always had a smile, always had a new idea, and was always leading the way to a cure for PD. His optimism and enthusiasm were contagious and his boundless energy put the Energizer Bunny to shame. It is hard to picture a world without Tom Isaacs and his determination to find a cure for PD.
The obituary printed below is from the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease, vol. 7, no. 3, pp. 409-410, 2017 and was published August 8, 2017.
Tom Isaacs was diagnosed with Parkinson’s at the young age of 26 and worked tirelessly to challenge the view that Parkinson’s was incurable, raising funds for research to trial new treatments and becoming one of the most well-known and popular international patient advocates. Having completed a successful 1,250 mile sponsored walk in 1999, Tom was determined to use his Parkinson’s to achieve more in life than he could have done without it, leaving his job as Director of a London property company to undertake his Coastin’ challenge to raise funds for Parkinson’s research. He walked 4,500 miles around the British coastline, climbed the highest mountains in England, Scotland and Wales and ran the Flora London Marathon, raising over £350,000 for Parkinson’s research. He wrote a book, Shake Well Before Use about his walk and his experiences living with Parkinson’s which he conveys with passion, optimism and humour. In 2004 he was awarded UK Charity Personality of the Year and a year later he helped to co-found The Cure Parkinson’s Trust (CPT), a patient-led charitable organisation of which he was President. The name alone challenged the view that Parkinson’s was incurable. “I still maintain that one day I will be able to insert the word ‘used to’ when I say I have Parkinson’s.” Tom said. Over ten years on and under Tom’s guidance, CPT is recognised as a key player in the world of research and has funded over $7.4 million of Parkinson’s research projects. In the early days of CPT, Tom and the charity’s Director of Research and Development Dr Richard Wyse, forged ahead with international collaborations. The first was with Patrik Brundin (of the Van Andel Institute in Grand Rapids, Michigan) who they approached about developing a research programme to re-purpose existing drugs and investigate their potential to slow, stop or reverse Parkinson’s. Dr Brundin described Tom as “a beacon of light who guided us all doing Parkinson’s research, keeping us on track.” This project became the Linked Clinical Trials (LCT) initiative, now driven by a 14-strong international Committee of neurologists and Parkinson’s researchers. LCT is in its fifth year and to date there are eight drugs within the trial programme. Once described as “the most expert patient” Tom was able to take part in scientific discussions at the highest level and his passion, charm and single-mindedness helped him earn the respect and support of such leading Parkinson’s researchers as Dr Patrik Brundin and Professors Andrew Lees, Anders Bjorkland, Roger Barker and Steven Gill. Tom worked closely and successfully with many international organisations including the Van Andel Research Institute and the Michael J Fox Foundation. He was also a Board Member of the European Parkinson’s Disease Association from 2005 until 2010. Tom was the first person with Parkinson’s to speak at the World Parkinson Congress in 2006. He has attended and presented at every WPC since and was also the patient representative on the Steering Committee and chaired the Patient Advocacy Committee for the World Parkinson Congress in 2010 and 2013. “He was a leader from the day of his diagnosis and he dreamed about helping others with PD to also become leaders to march alongside him in his journey to end Parkinson’s disease.” says Eli Pollard, Executive Director of the World Parkinson Coalition. At the 2016 World Parkinson Congress, Tom was awarded the inaugural prize for Distinguished Contribution to the Parkinson’s Community. He was also a leading contributor to the SENSE-PARK project in 2011, a European funded initiative which established more personalised, objective measuring devices for people with Parkinson’s and those who treat them. He co-founded Parkinson’s Movement, which provided a voice for people with Parkinson’s and has made progress in addressing some of the problems experienced in clinical trials – in particular, recruitment and outcome measures. In 2012 Tom was awarded the prestigious, Dr Rana International Parkinson’s Community Service Award and was also one of the torchbearers in the run up to the 2012 Olympic Games. Tom has written articles and been published in the Lancet Neurology, the Journal of Clinical Investigations and the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease for which he was on the editorial board. He was married to Lyndsey, an acupuncturist and former nurse who fully embraced Tom’s vision and was an advocate for Parkinson’s in her own right. Her phenomenal support for Tom enabled them to travel extensively to attend conferences and meetings at which Tom gave speeches and presentations about the urgent need for a cure, the power of advocacy in research and the impact of living with Parkinson’s. Tom and Lyndsey not only shared a vision but also a wonderful sense of humour, friendship and fun. Perhaps most important of all, Tom inspired people with Parkinson’s, giving hope that a cure will be found and a belief that the patient voice was being heard. He spoke openly about his condition and helped fellow patients understand they were not alone, describing hope as ‘the best medicine of all.’ As one CPT supporter said, “The PD world has lost a hero and a trailblazer.” Tom Isaacs, co-founder and President of The Cure Parkinson’s Trust was born on April 2 1968 and died on May 31st, 2017, aged 49.
As you can see from his obituary, Tom was a visionary with a unique ability to pull together the people needed to make a vision become a reality. He was one of my Everyday Hero’s and, while he will be missed, his vision to find a cure will continue on through the work of the Cure Parkinson’s Trust.
Stay tuned for my next post and we will start to catch up on what else has been happening for the last four months!
“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” – Confucius
