I am a retired Diagnostic Imaging Technologist. The last five years of my career were spent as a Clinical Education Specialist in Nuclear Medicine. I am passionate about teaching and enjoy seeing the light of knowledge fill a person’s eyes when they understand the information presented. In 2004, I completed a Volunteer Tutor Training course in Basic Literacy, and that year, after two years of denial, I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. In 2019, I earned a certificate in Brain Health. In 2020, I joined the volunteer ranks of the Parkinson’s Foundation
I have traversed this Parkinson’s journey alone for 18 years. During that time, I cared for my mother 24/7 for 7 years. She suffered from Lewy Body Dementia which is on the same gene as Parkinson’s. I did not know where to get accurate information or advice and, surprisingly, I frequently encountered derisive remarks from members of the medical community. I have not had a personal support system to help make sense of the continually changing symptoms of PD and the callous attitude of medical employees. What JOY when I learned of the Parkinson’s Foundation and the Aware In Care PrograThe AIC Ambassadorship enables me to let people know there is life after a diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease. People with Parkinson’s Disease are still worthy of respect and they deserve to be treated appropriately for their condition by the medical community.
I strive to inform PD patients of local and national resources, help them have shorter, more successful hospital stays by use of the AIC bag for medication and its fact sheets informing doctors and nurses of the best possible care for PD patients. I work to advance the Parkinson’s Foundation mission of making lives better, improving care, and advancing research towards a cure. I received an AIC bag and four wonderful books loaded with information. The Parkinson’s Foundation is a game-changer.
To see how the Parkinson’s Foundation can help you and how you can help the Parkinson’s Foundation, log-on to www. helpline/Parkinson.org