It would have been easy for my family to decide seven years ago when my dad was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease that we were going to sit back and let it be. But as someone who still sees her father as invincible, why would I?
This Father's Day, my 28-year-old twin sister and I are giving our dad, Bob, the gift he really needs: joining him in his search for a cure for Parkinson's disease.
Since his diagnosis in 2006, at age 58, my dad has been very active in trying to find a cure for Parkinson's-- both by participating in clinical trials and by fundraising for research. He is in his seventh year enrolled in a trial at the National Institutes of Health and he hosts an annual golf fundraiser, which raised $50,000 for Parkinson's research in 2013 alone. In fact, he has also influenced my mom and she is currently enrolled as a healthy control participant in a five-year clinical study seeking to identify a biomarker- or a way to slow or stop progression of Parkinson's disease.
I've always looked up to my dad, and his fight with Parkinson's is no exception. I'm inspired by how he hasn't let Parkinson's keep him down and how he is so determined to find a cure.
As our Father's Day gift this year, my sister and I are following his lead and are looking to participate in clinical research to help find a cure for Parkinson's. We registered for Fox Trial Finder, which is an online tool, launched by The Michael J. Fox Foundation, that works like "match.com" and makes it easy for volunteers to find relevant Parkinson's trials. Our participation is particularly helpful since many trials are looking for participants who do not have Parkinson's, but are genetically related to someone who does.
It means the world to me to be able to contribute in some way to helping my dad and the one million Americans living with Parkinson's disease.
And, I know my family is not unique. We're not just one family fighting against a faceless enemy. We're part of something much bigger, and there are many families who are active in the search for a cure.
Through fundraising and events, awareness, research participation, supporting each other and the Parkinson's community, and spreading the word we will find a cure. Maybe not in my dad's lifetime, but in ours.
Together we are a powerful adversary and we can change the world. Join my sister and me this Father's Day by registering for Fox Trial Finder and participating in clinical research to speed progress for a cure. Not just for my dad, but for all the dads, and everyone, with Parkinson's.
This Father's Day, Let's Change The World
It would have been easy for my family to decide seven years ago when my dad was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease that we were going to sit back and let it be. But as someone who still sees her father as invincible, why would I?
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