Monday, December 29, 2008

Living with Parkinson's Disease.


BBC Wales' Carl Yapp has published this story online about the wonderfully positive attitude taken by John and Sue Day towards the Parkinson's Disease from which they both suffer. They've become friends of mine since I became President of the Montgomeryshire group of the Parkinson's Disease Society. It must be very rare for a married couple to both suffer from the affliction. Even more unusually, John's brother and late father were also affected.
In the interview with Carl, both John and Sue are calling for a specialist nurse to be made available to fellow sufferers in Montgomeryshire. I note the Powys Local Health Board comment in the article claiming that supporting Parkinson's Disease sufferers is a "top priority'. Well, I'm pleased about that - but I'll believe it when something happens to justify such a statement. The reality is that (as usual) Montgomeryshire happens to be the place where its said to be difficult to provide a service.
At least there has been a bit of help for John and Sue, courtesy of a reader of my blog, who donated the fabulous sum of £10,000 to Parkinson's Disease Wales, on condition that £1,000 of it was spent in Montgomeryshire. So far about a half of the £1000 has been spent on sessions for local sufferers to learn to live with the impact of the Disease. I do need to check how the other £9,000 was spent - and report back.
There is a terrific group of supporters in Montgomeryshire. The officers of the group called in our office last week for a Christmas drink and mince pie - and to receive a cheque for £100 which we'd raised for them in a raffle. Left of photograph is Anne Smedley, Chair of the group, who is tireless in her support. No-one who receives honours tomorrow will deserve their recognition more than she would.

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