Page created by: Joanne Straub

Bene Joy is Joanne's youngest sister. Bene was diagnosed with Early Onset Parkinson's Disease in October 2017 when she was 43 years old.

Bene is the mother of a now 9 year old daughter and 7 year old son. Parkinson's has affected her in big ways and small ways. A distinct memory that I have is of Bene trying to give her young son liquid medicine. Her hand was shaking so badly, half of the medicine dripped off the spoon and she couldn't aim straight to get the spoon in his mouth. Joanne got frustrated and angry (not of Bene but of the unfair situation) and grabbed the spoon to give the medicine.

Christmas Eve 2017 is another memory I have. Bene couldn't feed herself soup. She had to use her non-dominate left hand. Now we all know how difficult it is to try and do something with our "other" hand. Imagine having to do this all the time. Imagine trying to sign your name with a hand that shakes. How about writing a check or a shopping list?

Bene tires easily and simple tasks like dressing her children become a difficult chore. Now that they are older, they can fend for themselves more, but things like this weigh heavy on her heart. Recently, Bene has been suffering with debilitating headaches. These kept her in bed for days and sent her on another round of doctor appointments and tests.

In lieu of birthday gifts, I am asking for donations to The Michael J. Fox Foundation. 88 Cents of every dollar goes to research projects!

The Michael J. Fox Foundation's single, urgent goal is to eliminate Parkinson's disease. Help research find a cure. Your donation funds an aggressive agenda aimed at developing improved therapies and a cure for those living with Parkinson's disease.

Thank you,
Joanne