On March 29th, 2014 the world lost Alan Schroeder, my dad and the sweetest man I've ever known. He waged a heroic fight against Parkinson's with humor and grace, finding the funniest moments in his challenges. He continued to bless our lives everyday with his courage and generosity. We knew him as the kindest and most compassionate man; I'm undoubtably the woman I am today because of the wonderful example he set for me.
Nothing could have prepared my family for the sudden blow of such an important loss, no matter how much we planned considering his degenerative disease. What I wouldn't give for one last hug, one last laugh, or to hear him call me Gwennie one last time. I miss him more than words can express, but now I can rest easier knowing that he'll never have to suffer another day in his failing body.
In tribute, my family asks you to consider a donation in my dad's name to The Michael J. Fox Foundation in support of a cure for Parkinson's Disease. My father may be gone now, but we will continue this fight for all the other dads, daughters, mothers, sons and extended families who still struggle with this terrible disease.
The Michael J. Fox Foundation is dedicated to finding a cure for Parkinson's disease and to ensuring the development of improved therapies for those living with Parkinson's today. The Foundation is the world's largest nonprofit funder of Parkinson's research, with more than $2 billion in high-impact research funded to date.
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