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I got a extra Christmas present today! My letter to the editor was published in the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. It read as follows: DISPELLING MYTHS ABOUT PARKINSON'S With the announcement of Michael J. Fox, 37, having Parkinson's disease for seven years, it is time to get the facts out to help the estimated 60,000 people young and old who will be diagnosed with Parkinson's this year. These people will join the more than 1.5 million Americans struggling with tremors, rididity, masked faces, depression and overall loss of dignity associated with Parkinson's disease. For too long it has been misconstrued as an old person's disease, but statistics don't support the myth. It would be more accurate to call Parkinson's a disease of middle or adult age. While the average age of diagnosois is about 55, one third of people develop their first sysmtoms before 50, as did Mr Fox. Recently National Parkinson Foundation medical expert have confirmed the diagnosis of two people under l3. It was not a big article, and I do not consider myself a great writer, but if it can help even one person here in Rochester it was worth it! Donna Testa cg John 50/46/37