Page created by: Brends Hart

My momma, Geraldine is 94 years old and will be 95 years old on December 8th, 2023! She was born in Emmaus, PA in 1928 during The Great Depression to a large PA Dutch family. She was the youngest daughter and the only daughter to live in her family of 12 children including her. Her life between birth and diagnosis had its ups and downs, eventually she had five children from 1952 to 1968. While still married, after many years of living in many places across the US with my three idler siblings, she ended up in Savannah, GA, then Pembroke/Ellabell, GA, then Milledgeville, GA and now finally she resides with my daughter, one of her 17 grandchildren, in Cleveland, TN. In the later years of her life she found herself as a single mother to her three youngest children, myself included. She was always resourceful, strong and independent. That’s what I remember most. I am Brenda, next to the youngest. Sadly, while living in her golden years of life still in South GA, which she had hoped to enjoy, she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in Sept. 2012, when she was 83, almost 84 years old. She had probably lived with it for many years before that but the tremors and symptoms were mild so she kept it hidden well from all of my siblings and I, as well as other family and friends! Up until that time my mother was very independent. She lived on her own in a senior adult complex and still drove her car, attended church regularly and cared for others, especially those in need. She has so many friends still there. She was very elderly but such a vibrant, independent, strong woman as she had always been. This PD diagnosis forever changed my life and the life of our family but especially changed my sweet momma’s life. She has battled it now for 11 years and can no longer take Carbidopa Levodopa. It doesn’t work anymore. Stopped working a couple of years ago. For several years from diagnosis until now, she lived a pretty decent life, but at the advice of her doctors way back in 2012, she could no longer live alone for fear of falls and broken bones and no one to help her. After the diagnosis my oldest sister stayed with her for a long time to hopefully allow her to keep some independence and stay in her apartment but it just wasn’t working, eventually both of my brothers and their wives allowed her to live with them and did their best to care for her, but none of us knew much about PD, it’s a terrible debilitating neuro-degenerative disease, there is NO cure. Eventually while living with one of my nephews and his family while under the supervision of care by my oldest brother who himself was getting up in age, and truly he and his precious wife could no longer care for her as she needed, her being placed in a home was discussed, it was a tough place to be and something she really didn’t want, my sweet 21 year old courageous daughter put college on hold and left home and made a precious home for her and her Nana. Where she had lived now for 4 years. I supervise her care now and help care for her 24/7 and it’s the hardest, but most rewarding thing I have done outside being honored to raise three amazing children. I will never have enough words to thanks all of my family that has helped momma over the years, but most especially the sacrifices my girl has made to keep her nana at home with us being able to care for her with amazing team of caregivers we have daily to help us. My siblings and I are forever in their debt. My momma is in the final stages of PD now and it’s very hard to watch day in and day out. But I am thankful now every once in a while she says I love you back. I know if she could say it herself she would say thank you and be so appreciative of all those who care of her near and far. I love you momma. So much. I pray that this new breakthrough that PPMI and The Michael J. Fox Foundation has found in pinpointing a bio marker for PD will make all the difference in the world for future PD patients. I know it will never help momma!