Page created by: The Pastuszek Family

Dozia grew up during World War II in Ukraine and spent her teenage years in a displaced persons' camp. Despite the hardships, she always talked about how lucky she was to survive the war with her parents and brother and to come to the United States and start a new and prosperous life.

She was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in the mid 1980's when she was in her early 50's. She then proceeded to live her life even more fully, traveling and vacationing and spending time with her family. She was very independent until she was in her early 80s,well after the death of her husband of 56 years, when she moved into an over 55 independent living apartment then into assisted living community.

The Parkinson's was a slow deterioration and she was unable to command her body or her speech to do as she wished, but she was cheerful and communicative to her very last hours. She was much loved at her residence, where she was one of the longest living residents and was known for her beautiful clothing and appearance. No housecoats for this lady!

What is so challenging about Parkinson's is that it manifests itself almost uniquely in each patient, and you never know what to expect every day much less in the next few days as a caregiver or family member. We believe that the research conducted by the Parkinson's foundation will help others to better manage this disease and that your contributions in Dozia's name will make a difference.