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The Parkinson's Unity Walk set up a table at a street fair on Broadway between 67th and 68th in New York City yesterday. It was a beautiful day despite the rainy forecast. We signed up nearly fifty walkers for our September 27th event in Central Park. At least 50 other people dropped by with questions about Parkinson's and advice for friends and relatives. Many of them know nothing about the extensive resources available. What's wrong with this picture? What's right with it? What's wrong is that we need to do a much better job reaching folks with PD, their families and loved ones. Not everyone surfs the Net. I met a couple in their 80's. The husband has had PD for two years and they are still seeing a family doctor. They've never seen a neurologist and are convinced that nothing more can be done than to take the pills that their GP prescribes and hope for the best. I am always amazed at the number of people in any given crowd who have friends and relatives with PD or are very much aware of the severity of the problem - people who would like to help but haven't got a clue as to what they can do. They don't know about our national organizations. They don't know about exciting developments in research and treatment. Sure, these may not be people who seek out information on their own but many would help financially and with advocacy if we could do a better job of reaching out to them. What's right? People are more aware of PD in general than ever before. Television and news media coverage has helped. Muhammad Ali has helped. But there's still a long way to go. We need to visit those friends, relatives and co-workers who have withdrawn from social contact and re-connect them with our 'network' to share the benefits of our collective knowledge and experience about dealing with PD. Speaking of connections, the PDF and NPF ran very successful events in New York this weekend. The PDF put together a scientific symposium on Saturday. They also invited leadership from the NPF and APDA, along with a number of advocates, to a lovely 40th anniversary awards dinner on Saturday night. NPF ran a comprehensive patient/caregiver symposium on Sunday at Beth Israel Hospital. Advocacy for the Morris Udall Bill was an ever-present topic of discussion at both events. Greater cooperation between leadership from APDA, NPF, PDF and PAN has given more momentum to the effort than ever before. Lastly, the Parkinson's Unity Walk is seeking to maximize attendance at our September event by recruiting corporate and community teams. If you can attend the walk in Central Park, New York on Saturday, September 27th, please call us about assemblying a team of five walkers from your company or group. E-Mail Margot at [log in to unmask] for details. Regards, Ken Aidekman Fund the Research. Find the Cure.