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Our first woldwide chat party was a huge success last Friday. We had a total of about 20 visitors with three from Iceland, Brazil, and Germany! We had a blast talking about a wide range of topics such as our symptoms, fears, and the support that the group offers. We also discussed going to the YOPN Symposium in Phoenix this July...sounds like it is going to be the place to be this year! We are getting close to debuting the new YoungParkinsons.com (it is going to be a great site filled with a lot of interactivity). You, the community, will be charged with developing it and running it. Will be pretty cool! My film project is slowly coming together. A big thanks to Patti Lightner for her and her families generous contribution to get us started. We are also in talks with a Grassroots Parkinson's organization regarding full funding of the film. We are also looking at expanding the subject beyond myself. Currently the idea is to also film the infamous Russ "Lightning" Ahlstrom. http://www.unitywalk.org/na_russell.shtml We will also be asking for all of you to send your photos in for the film project so we can create a collage of PWP for the film. If you are not aware of the project here is a loose overview: "OFF" Young Onset Parkinson's Disease The film will be a combination of Parkinson's through as experienced through my eyes (a first person perspective) and through the eyes of others I come in touch with. We will touch on on the basics (tremor, rigidity, bradykeneis, masked face, slurred speech, etc) but also want to bring out the non-discussed issues like sex and gambling addictions which as you are aware are a huge issue within our community. We are working with my doctor, the dynamic Dr Jill Marajama-Lyons (author of http://www.youngparkinsons.com/amazon.htm http://www.youngparkinsons.com/amazon.htm) and would like for her to do a brief explanation of the disease at the start, or explain the disese as symptoms occur during the film. Our intention is not to make a political or a "poor me I have Parkinson's" film but a film that will show the good, the bad, and the humourous side of Parkinsons . The intention of the film is to let both current and future Parkinsonians be aware that there is life after diagnosis. It is not the end of the world but the beginning of a new world. We want to show that Parkinsonsians are not limited to being on disability, that they can do anything if they put their mind to it and stop sitting around waiting for the "miracle cure" that is coming in five years for the last twenty years. We will show the challenges that Parkinsonians are faced with daily and how to "Accomadate Without Surrender", As Russ Ahlstrom and SYdney Dorros would say. We will film me in bed with my feet going nuts, sleeping, night walking, showering, grooming, dressing, cooking, eating, driving, etc etc ... He will move in with me for a few weeks documenting every bout of dystonia, dyskenesia, rigidigty, and bradykenesia. We will do the same for Russ as well. My filmmaker, Tim Costello, is a good friend and wants to help us raise global awareness with this project. He has done several films and did the 2003 YOPA PSA (www.youngparkinsons.com/psa.htm) which saw airtime in various states. We are puttting packets together for potential sponsors. The packets will contain some of Tims short films, the YOPA Commercial, and an overview of the project. So far Patti Lightner has given us $1,000 to start, but we will need about $10,000 for the project. We plan on entering it into this years Santa Fe Film Festival and after that we will be sending it to cable access nationwide, PBS, and the national affiliates, neurologists, PDF, NPF, APDA, FOX, etc. Tom Berdine Founder; YoungParkinsons.com (www.youngparkinsons.com) Co-Founder, Young Onset Parkinson's Association (www.yopa.org) President, Retired, YOPA, 2002-2004 Diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinson's Disease in 2001 "I don't suffer from Parkinson's...I thrive on it." -Tom Berdine Tom Berdine 10409 Bellamah Ave Ne Albuquerque, NM 87112 (505) 293-5612 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn