MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AUGUST 2025

The dog days of summer always hit me hard. Maybe it’s the heat, or the renewed awareness that time will soon speed us through to the end of the year. August also brings me face-to-face with the anniversaries of several painful losses in my life – in short: in August I grieve. 

With Parkinson’s – and at PRO – we intentionally focus on improving quality of life. Given the realities of a neurodegenerative condition, given the challenges of caregiving in a changing world, how can we build strength? How can we cultivate community? How can we connect you with a treatment or therapy that will give you relief from today’s problem? How can we weave some joy into this complex life? 

The answer is multi-fold and bountiful because there is so much life with Parkinson’s. There’s a reason we talk so much about “living with Parkinson’s.” In this newsletter alone, you’ll be reminded about our exercise and mindfulness classes, our many incredible support groups, and some fun upcoming opportunities to socialize. 

And yet, grief is part of this journey. PRO doesn’t shy away from that reality. We know that to serve our community well, we must create space for grief to be acknowledged and honored. You can find that space at our beautiful and intimate grief groups with grief counselor and end-of-life doula Glendon Geikie. You can find it woven throughout our newsletter and educational content. You can find it in conversation with me.   

Grief has, even recently, brought me to my knees. And yet, even in the face of grief, there is light. I am reminded of the great privilege of grief – that we had something to love. That we had something we hated to lose. What buoys me is the strength of our community. I see it in each of you, as you show up for one another with compassion and vulnerability. I see it in caregivers offering gentle wisdom to those just beginning their journey. I see it in every phone call, every email, every shared story. There is healing in connection, and there is profound hope in knowing we walk this path together. 

Now onto business…before you move on to the content of this month’s newsletter, I want to honor an incredible human who has worked tirelessly to bring you this Newsletter content for over twenty years.

Gary Lopez has been our secret weapon, working many, many nights to design PRO’s newsletter, squeeze impossible large amounts of information into impossibly small spaces, wrestle tight deadlines into submission – and he’s done it all with smiles, laughter, and words of wisdom. As a volunteer, Gary really puts service into action. After two decades, Gary is finally hanging up his boots. He looks forward to spending more time with his beautiful wife and exploring his own passion projects. Please join me in saluting Gary for his service to our community. 

In the coming months, our newsletter may start to look a bit different as we navigate things without Gary. Some designs may change but the hearty, research-backed, and community-driven content will stay the same. Bear with us.  

As always, thank you for being part of the PRO family. Whether you are newly diagnosed, deep in the caregiving trenches, or living in the aftermath of loss, know that we are here for you. Our programs, our people, and our purpose remain rooted in this simple truth: community matters.

Now read on for PRO’S EVENT LINEUP!, along with NEW FILM, STUDY, EXPLORE JOYS AND STRUGGLES OF FAMILY CAREGIVERS, KELLY’S PD TIDBITS; A CARE PARTNER’S MINI-GUIDE, PRO’S SUPPORT GROUPS, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) IN PARKINSON’S DISEASE (PD): ADVANCING RESEARCH & ENHANCING CARE, and MEET THE PRO TEAM.

ALWAYS remember to CELEBRATE YOU and LEAD WITH LOVE. 

Eileen