SILENT NO MORE

Some of us are fathers or grandfathers. Some of us are mothers or grandmothers. Some of are young, some middle aged and some of us are elderly. Some of us still work, even though it is a bit harder to do so and some of us are retired. We are from all walks of life, ethnic backgrounds. But our lives changed one day. We have a lot of HEART and are optimistic though, that the change will not be forever. Who are we? We are 1.5 to 2 million Americans who have PD and this number is expected to grow significantly with the baby boomer's generation It has been appropriately called the silent epidemic, as one tends to withdraw because of what this disease does to you. About half of people with PD have their speech affected. Many who used to smile have a blank look with only a few blinks. We used to walk with a regular stride with our arms swinging and now we shuffle along with arms at our side. Some of use have a hard time with balance. Others actually freeze when trying to walk. Some of us have bradykinesia and some of us have dyskinesia. Some of us are rigid and some of us stoop forward. Some of us have dexterity problems and some of us have a tremor that shakes part of or are whole bodies. But whatever combination of symptoms we may have, our lives have changed and things are harder now. There is hope though as a cure is so very close and many researchers claim that PD with be the first along the path to curing other neurological diseases like Alzheimer's Disease, MS, MD and ALS. And when this happens, literally millions of people and their families will no longer suffer. It will also save billions of dollars in health care and disability benefits. These are dollars that could spent in many other ways to strengthen our great country. We are not going to be silent about this epidemic any longer. We are going to speak out and ask for help in curing this disease. Whenever this great country rallies behind a cause, we can usually find the wisdom, the will power and the resources to win the battle. I know it is difficult to know how important this battle is, as one cannot usually identify with something someone else is experiencing unless they truly experience it themselves. If you have any questions on how important this battle is ,we encourage you to read the book “Saving Milly". It explains the impact on people’s life’, the economic impact and the politics of it all better than any other book we have read. Please help us with this great cause by contributing your tax deducible donation TO: The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research Grand Central Station P.O. Box 4777 New York, NY 10163 They identify the most promising research and that is where your donation will be spent in an effort to fast track a cure. Thanks for helping us conquer this cruel disease Together, we can put it in the history books along with Polio, Small Pox and Measles. The Young At Heart Support Group