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The Edge Daily, Malaysia 25-07-2003 May Stanislaus fights back on Parkinson's disease By Thomas Soon, 4.33pm The founder and president of the newly-formed Parkinson Rehabilitation Association of Malaysia, May Stanislaus, is a person with a mission - to rehabilitate the sufferers like herself of Parkinson's disease. May was an active and healthy individual when she quit her job as an executive officer in Bank Negara some 23 years ago in 1980 to pursue her dream of having her own business in soft furnishings, a part of interior designing. That was until she was afflicted with "frozen shoulders" in 1995 and five years later, diagnosed as having Parkinson's disease. Drowning in depression, but refusing to succumb to the incurable disease, May began to find out more about it. "Depression set in after I was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, but I told myself I had to be positive," she says. That positive state of mind has led her to form the association that was registered last October and now has 80 members. May says there is little awareness about the disease, which afflicts more than 12,000 people in the country. "My vision is to reach out to all the sufferers," she says, adding that sufferers need help in physiotherapy as well as speech and occupational therapy. She aims to set up 36 Parkinson's disease rehabilitation and daycare centres throughout Malaysia - towards bringing rehabilitation facilities closer to the victims. Former boxer Muhammad Ali and actor Michael J Fox are the two famous personalities afflicted with Parkinson's disease. May is grateful that her association is among eight charitable organisations that will receive donations arising from the fourth edition of The Edge Kuala Lumpur Rat Race. "The money will help toward fulfilling the setting up of the rehabilitation centres in the country," she says. The Rat Race, which is organised by The Edge in collaboration with Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange's Yayasan Bursa Saham Kuala Lumpur, will be held on August 12. Yayasan BSKL provides assistance, support and financial aid for community and educational activities, projects and programmes with the objective of improving the standard of living, skills and professionalism of Malaysians. Since its establishment as a community foundation in 1998, Yayasan BSKL has worked with over 500 community organisations from every state and contributed almost RM7 million to needy organisations and individuals. Reference: The Kuala Lumpur Rat Race 2003 http://www.theedgedaily.com/Rat_Race_03/index.html SOURCE: The Edge Daily, Malaysia http://www.theedgedaily.com/article.cfm?id=23525 * * * ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn