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To old-time parkinsn list members, I'm sorry to convey the sad news that Donna Testa passed away last week. She was a victim of ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease). Donna and her husband John were active list members during the earlier years of the parkinsn list. They were very involved in the campaign to pass and fund the Udall bill. Donna also started the Ball of String project to help spread Parkinson's awareness throughout the world. We met Donna and John on this list and discovered we lived only about an hour away from each other, and over the years we became close friends. She had retired early so that she could spend more time with John, who has PD. Shortly after, she started having unexplained weakness in her legs. She was diagnosed with ALS in 2006. How cruel that both diseases would strike one family like this. Donna was a dedicated advocate and a great friend - always outspoken, always standing up for what she believed in and the people she cared about -- until ALS robbed her of the ability to stand and to speak. Donna died in a hospice last Monday with John at her side. May Donna rest in peace, and her life be an inspiration to others to continue fighting to find the cures for all of these terrible diseases . Linda Herman ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn