MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR - MAY 2024

Welcome to May! 

If you’ve been following along, you know that April was a busy month for PRO. We launched our Parkinson’s Awareness Month activity blitz with Charity Bingo, held our 2nd Annual Chocolate & Champagne fundraiser in Palm Springs, and closed out the month with PRO on the Move: Walk, Ride, or Roll. Teams competed throughout Coachella Valley and in Los Angeles. In between all this, our President Emerita delivered two lectures about the ABCs of Parkinson’s at local senior centers, and I made several TV appearances to discuss the rising prevalence of Parkinson’s and the resources PRO provides. 

We’re proud to announce that our Parkinson’s Awareness Month activities engaged over 250 people at in-person events, many of whom were new to the organization. We also raised over $34,000 to support our free resources for people with Parkinson’s and caregivers. If you joined us at an event, donated in absentia, shared or liked a Facebook post, or simply told a neighbor about what we do, Thank You! 

After several weeks of intense activity and fun, it’s time to shift gears. May marks Memorial Day, and we always take the opportunity to reflect on the true human cost of Parkinson’s by highlighting the hundreds of incredible individuals on our Memorial Wall. This is our virtual place to honor the diverse legacies of people we have lost to Parkinson’s, including caregivers. It also gives the living a place to visit so they can gain solace in the memory of their loved one. 

Today we have over 760 entries on the Memorial Wall, and we add to it daily. For us, it’s a powerful daily meditation on the work we do and why we do it. Have you visited the Memorial Wall recently? Do you have a loved one who should be on the Memorial Wall? Let us know… you know where to find us. 

We like to remind people that Parkinson’s isn’t a death sentence, it’s more accurately a new condition to manage and live with. And yet… death is a presence, undeniably. I want to remind each of you that Parkinson’s Resource Organization is here for every step of your journey, including putting your plans in place for end-of-life. 

A few resources you might consider: 

Grief Group – every second and fourth Thursday at 10:00am PST on Zoom;

Estate Planning – the third installment of our ongoing series is on page 3 of this Newsletter, penned by Elder Law Attorney William Remery, Esq.;

End of Life Doula – Connect with Wellness Villager Glendon Geikie, MSW INEDLA, to discuss what a peaceful end looks like for you or your loved one; 

Medical Advocates – Two patient advocates in our Wellness Village, Karen Morin and Cindy Johnson, can help you set your medical preferences and discuss with family. 

Read on for DIABETES DRUG MAY SLOW PROGRESSION OF PARKINSON’S; I’M STILL MAKING REVISIONS IN MY DIET FOR PARKINSON’S; INTRODUCTION TO ESTATE PLANNING: PART 3; LOW INCOME LATINOS AT HIGHER RISK FROM PARKINSON’S-LINKED WEEDKILLER, and; LIGHT THERAPY FOR PARKINSON’S. 

Until next month, remember May Day on May 1st, Cinco de Mayo on May 5th, Mother’s Day on May 12th, and Memorial Day on May 27th. The flower is the Lily of the Valley and the birthstone is the Emerald. 

Always remember to Celebrate You and Lead With Love.