> But it is unusual for Parkinson's to strike someone as young as Fox,
> said Blair McRobie, president and CEO of the Parkinson's Foundation of
> Canada. In the vast majority of cases, the disease strikes people over
> the age of 55. An estimated 1% of people over 55 will suffer from the
> disease in their lifetime.
I can't believe I'm reading this!!! So many of us have been working so
hard to promote awareness because more and more young people are being
diagnosed. Following are excerpts from a NPF press release which
emphasizes this fact.
Company Press Release
SOURCE: The National Parkinson Foundation, Inc.
The National Parkinson Foundation States Parkinson's
Disease Becoming More Prevalent Among the 'Young'
Young Onset Patients Have Special Needs
MIAMI, Nov. 25, 1998 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the National Parkinson
Foundation (NPF), Parkinson's disease has been
labeled ``a disease of the elderly,'' but statistics don't support this.
The average age of onset is currently estimated to be about
55, with 15 percent of patients diagnosed below the age of 50. Recently,
NPF medical experts have confirmed the diagnosis of
two individuals under the age of 13.
Parkinson's often goes unrecognized in the young for several years after
symptoms first appear because doctors don't expect to
find PD in people who are in their thirties or forties. Thus, it is
important that any individuals displaying the symptoms of
Parkinson's disease be seen by a neurologist specializing in movement
disorders for further diagnosis and treatment.
The National Parkinson Foundation recognizes that young-onset
Parkinson's patients have special needs. These individuals
often have children to raise, jobs to keep as well as other issues they
must address that are different than those patients in
retirement years. The first hurdle for the young person is to accept the
diagnosis, get a realistic idea as to what to expect and
make plans for the future that will help him or her cope with the
ailment.
--
Judith Richards, London, Ontario, Canada
<[log in to unmask]>
^^^
\ /
\ | / Today’s Research
\\ | // ...Tomorrow’s Cure
\ | /
\|/
```````
