Page created by: Karen

My dad developed Parkinson's, but I didn't realize til years later how bad it was. I knew Parkinson's as that thing that made people tremble, and my dad had no tremors. It was when I went down to Portland because my mom went in the hospital, and the nurses told me I should plan on staying there because my dad shouldn't be alone, that I realized what Parkinson's looked like for him. Mostly, it was about balance problems. Which was especially scary since he was on blood thinners and thus would more easily bleed out if he cut himself in a tumble. Every time I had to leave, I worried about him falling.

As I turned out, my dad only lasted a few more months, because lymphoma struck.

But it was those experiences staying with him and helping him manage life and meds and everything else that inspired me to make a career shift and open Rock Steady Boxing Seattle, a wellness and exercise program for people with Parkinson's.

Please contribute to MJFF and other Parkinson's orgs so that we can find a cure *and* continue to find ways to make everyday life a bit better for people with Parkinson's.