Parkinson’s awareness week runs from April 10 to April 16, 2019. It seeks to raise awareness about Parkinson’s disease, which affects around 130,000 people in the UK and 14 million worldwide. The organisation Parkinson’s UK, amongst others, funds continuing research into a cure; it reaches out and helps people who suffer from the condition and their relatives and friends who support them.
Some people with Parkinson’s prefer not to mention it and do their utmost to carry on as before. This is a positive attitude which I respect. After all, Parkinson’s is a serious but not usually fatal condition: sufferers are often debilitated by it but they die with it rather than of it. I’m happy to talk to people about Parkinson’s. I tell my students at the beginning of each year and if I make a conference trip I let the organisers know in advance. I don’t want to categorise myself as a disabled person, but, as positive as I may be, I can’t avoid the truth that I have reduced mobility and there are some things I need help with (packing a bag, for example). By being upfront and matter-of-fact about my condition, I hope to put people I meet at ease (for instance, I tell them that the blank expression on my face does not signify boredom or anger) and to help them understand a bit more about what the condition means in daily life.
parkinsonSpace 