Pano started having unexplained symptoms of Parkinson's in his early seventies. First diagnosed with MS he began having Transient Ischemic Attacks (mini strokes). As the disease developed, he started having speech and balance/walking issues. We remember him telling us that the message didn't just fire from his brain to his legs anymore. He actually had to focus on making his steps happen or he would fall. He was eventually diagnosed with Parkinson's. At this point the disease began to become aggressive . He could not walk without the aid of a walker and he could not remember how to form words in his mouth. His frustration mounted as his ability to communicate diminished daily. We could see the intelligence in his eyes and our hearts broke as we witnessed his inability to share what he was thinking or feeling. He lost general muscle control in the next couple of years. Pano would have been 85 on July 3, 2019 but he succumbed to the disease on June 23rd between 4:30 and 5:00 AM.
We appreciate any donations to the Michael J Fox Foundation in Pano's name.
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 $800 million in high-impact research funded to date.
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