The source of this article is the Star Online: http://tinyurl.com/cdap8

Parkinson’s is not the end

By ANTHONY THANASAYAN
RECENTLY, I wrote in this column about a high tea event that I was invited 
to last month attended by mostly persons with Parkinson’s Disease (PD), 
their caregivers and some of their ardent supporters.

I confessed that although I’ve been using a wheelchair for many years now, 
I suddenly had the jitters about meeting other handicapped people at the 
do. More so, in this case, when the disabled folks happened to be sufferers 
of PD.

It didn’t take long, however, for me to realise how silly I had been to 
think of everyone with PD as persons who would only be miserable and 
depressed about themselves.

Instead, I saw patients dancing with their walking aids. Others were moving 
around the banquet hall as fast as their crutches and wheelchairs could 
enable them to catch up with their long-lost friends. Clearly there were a 
lot of positive vibes going around that afternoon!


Even the facts about PD, how it affects sufferers, and how one could take 
control of one’s lives, were all carefully demonstrated on an overhead 
computer screen, which effectively took away the fear that gripped most 
people about PD.

All these activities were organised by the Malaysian Parkinson Disease 
Association (MPDA), an 11-year-old NGO in Kuala Lumpur that has been 
trying, since its inception, to create a better world for those with the 
debilitating disease.

If there was one thing I’ve learnt from the high tea, it’s this: Even if 
there is no cure for PD, those who have it can still stay on top of things 
and lead productive lives. This is because PD can be medically treated.

Society, for one, can be more accepting of persons with PD by providing 
them with disabled-friendly features everywhere. After all, the disease can 
strike any of us one day.

Some of the famous faces of PD are boxing legend Muhammad Ali, TV and film 
personality Michael J. Fox and the late Pope John Paul II. In short, PD is 
everyone’s problem.

Last week, I received an e-mail from Sara Lew, secretary of the MPDA, who 
shared with me what it was like for her when her father, now 76, was 
diagnosed with PD:

“My father who has had PD for 16 years unfortunately couldn’t make it for 
the High Tea gathering on April 24 that you wrote about. He had been 
discharged from hospital the day before the High Tea, after having stayed 
there for nearly a week. Both my parents had wanted to attend the event 
very much but my father was just too weak to turn up.

“Two days after the High Tea my father suffered internal bleeding in the 
stomach. He was immediately readmitted into hospital and by afternoon, we 
were informed that my father was drifting into unconsciousness.

“My dad’s specialist, Dr Chew Nee Kong, who is lecturer at the Neurology 
Department of Medicine at the University Malaya Medical Centre in KL, told 
us that my father had a 50% chance of survival.

“My whole family rushed to the hospital and kept vigil that evening. My 
father has always been a man with a steely determination, never giving up 
in the face of difficulty. I’m happy to tell you that he survived that 
horrible nightmare.

“My dad’s recovery can be attributed to the professional care given by Dr 
Chew and his team of expert nurses and staff. My father stayed another 
eight days in the hospital where he had to undergo further tests and scans. 
As it turned out, dad was diagnosed with diabetes and ulcers in his stomach.

“My father is much better now, and he is able to walk for a few hours every 
day. My siblings and I take turns every night to take care of him.

“I really owe it to the MPDA for playing a pivotal role in helping me cope 
with the recent ordeal with our dad’s hospitalisation and aftercare. It’s 
most comforting for me to know that when the going gets tough, I know I can 
always call up the members of our group to seek advice on how best to deal 
with the situation – whatever it may be.”

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