PD Avengers,
Thank you for signing up and being great advocates for Parkinson’s disease. Some of you are involved in committees and working groups, others wish to be, and others are comfortable on the sidelines (for now).
While summer seems to have slowed down as far as actionable items, there are still some I’d like to highlight and in this addition of our newsletter/action alert, we are highlighting Parkinson’s as an occupational hazard with an added emphasis on firefighters.
Plus, Parkinson’s and Art, and we’ll check in with PD Avengers around the world.
As the PD Avengers mark its one year anniversary, Tim Hague, Soania Mathur and I are working hard to fine-tune the PD Avengers structure so that there is always clear communication and an opportunity to participate. Thank you for your patience as we work through this.
We are so proud and humbled by the support you have given PD Avengers and the collaboration and cooperation amongst the Parkinson’s organizations is inspiring. Each of the groups is supporting PD Avengers and the mission in unique ways.
I want to highlight the Michael J Fox Foundation, PMD Alliance and IMPACT Parkinson’s. The Michael J. Fox Foundation is allowing a PD Avengers takeover of its podcast this fall. Keep an ear out for it. PMD Alliance is providing technical expertise and a business zoom account so we can host as many as 300 people for the upcoming PD Avengers ASSEMBLE! meeting. IMPACT Parkinson’s received a generous bequest and decided to pay it forward with the PD Avengers.
One of the Impact Parkinson’s dedicated boxers Sue Sayer passed away from complications from Multiple Systems Atrophy. The organization is operated by sisters Heidi Clarkson and Robyn Murrell. They tell me when Sue learned that IMPACT Parkinson’s was in her hometown of New Westminster, British Columbia she contacted them right away and that’s how Sue became part of the family.
She signed up for everything offered at IMPACT Parkinson’s Centre and was at the centre five days a week including evenings and weekends whenever something was happening! Once she started with IMPACT, Sue told them it gave her a reason to get up and go every day. She was a truly amazing and great inspiration to everyone that knew her.
Sue didn’t just leave behind a legacy of inspiration, she left a sizable bequest to IMPACT Parkinson’s to keep the center up and running. Heidi and Robyn accepted it with gratitude and they decided to share it with other organizations including the PD Avengers. We are inspired to keep punching forward and work together in the cause of ending Parkinson’s disease. Thank you Sue and IMPACT Parkinson’s.
And Thank You for being PD Avengers!
Larry
Larry Gifford
President / Executive Director
PD Avengers
Larry@pdavengers.com