Here We Go Again

It’s that time of year when we in the Parkinson’s Community begin to talk of ‘doing something’ for World Parkinson’s Day (WPD). For the uninitiated, WPD is 11th April, which is James Parkinson’s birthday. On this most auspicious day there may be campaigns.

Parkinson’s UK is urging people to ‘turn it blue’ and dress in blue, encourage local buildings to be lit in blue, sell blue iced cupcakes, you get the idea. Another website is supporting a kind of ‘spark’ image and ‘show us your spark.’ Personally I have mixed feelings about this, as whilst the spark image is aesthetically pleasing, and in my favourite colour of red, we had the tulip, and another logo kind of muddies the water. They irrefutably do good work in supporting those with Parkinson’s, yet I wish it were more in line with the global image. I have written about this before. You can find it here.


In Australia on Parkinson’s NSW, I discovered the usual donation requests and that the condition is more common that breast, lung and prostate cancer, though it’s unclear if that’s combined or per location. Bit sneaky really, but still a good message, and I loved their strapline of ‘Parkinson’s is a priority.


Always to be relied upon, and barely a post or podcast goes by without a mention of everybody’s favourite Parkinson’s poster-boy, Michael J Fox. The Fox Foundation is holding a ‘Day of Giving’ on their page. Let’s hope it goes well.


Finally here in New Zealand Parkinson’s NZ are advertising their Conference that will be held at the end of August. Er, right you are. Carry on.

image of Michael J Fox .


A disparate group, at first it seems to lack cohesion and to some may appear to make a mockery of a ‘World’ day, yet look deeper. First, at least everyone can agree on a date. I mean, anyone that’s had children can tell you that ‘World Book Day’ must have about a dozen different dates around the UK alone! When I actually check it’s both 23rd April, Shakepeare’s birthday, and also, rather confusingly, the first Thursday in March . Yet I digress. We’ve agreed on a date. Hurrah.


The second is that everyone agrees that Parkinson’s is pretty horrible and bad, a terrifyingly fast growing disease that affects many people. Finally, everyone wants your money, but that money is needed to find a desperately needed cure.

Finding the Cure


Because that cure is needed really badly. By us all. Our governments and leaders around the world are so busy fighting, arguing, posturing, pursuing nothing but wealth and power. This results in a lack of funding to gain more scientific research into stopping Parkinson’s in its tracks.


People are still of the opinion that Parkinsons is a disease of the elderly, it’s old men sitting in a corner shaking. Sadly it’s so much more. It’s men, women and lots of them very young indeed. We shoulder the burden and ‘just’ get on with it. We have no other choice.


Supporting World Parkinsons’s Day is an important step, but for those of us living with this, every day is Parkinson’s Day. It can never be forgotten, cast aside for a bit, we will never get a day off. It WILL get worse. It may get worse, I must force myself to remember it may only get worse.


Whatever is happening this Thursday, remember that Parkinson’s is for Life, not just for 11th April. Please dig deep and donate to the cause and let’s help stop Parkinson’s forever.

Until nnext time, Kitty. x

Finally

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