MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR -- MARCH 2024

They say March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. In the many years I lived in New England that phrase proved true more often than not, though here in the desert winter rains are already giving way to increasing heat. Time marches on and Spring, however it looks in your neck of the woods, is right around the corner. 

PRO is busy this Spring. We’re kicking things off with a Sunday Brunch to celebrate our Founder and President-Emeritus on March 10th, and laying plans for a busy Parkinson’s Awareness Month in April – including our Third Annual PRO on the Move Walk, our Second Annual Chocolate & Champagne mixer, and more.   

As we lay our plans for the coming weeks, I’ve been thinking about what the longer future holds for the Parkinson’s community. Consider, for example, the opening line to an article you’ll read in this month’s newsletter: “The acceleration of new Parkinson’s disease cases outpaces other age-related conditions.” 

Last month we learned that nanoplastics are linked to Parkinson’s disease, and just yesterday I read that researchers at Arizona State University found nanoplastic particles in every sample they took for a study on the prevalence of microplastics in human tissue. In this month’s newsletter, you’ll also read about a controversial pesticide, Paraquat, which has been linked to Parkinson’s and which the EPA just re-approved for use in American agriculture. 

Anecdotally, we are fielding more calls from people under the age of 50 with Parkinson’s or early signs of Parkinson’s.  In fact, three members of PRO’s Board of Directors have been diagnosed with Young-Onset Parkinson’s. 

It often feels, in the Parkinson’s world, that what we DO know is dwarfed by what we DON’T know. We don’t know what causes Parkinson’s – although we have some ideas (a combination of genetics and environmental exposure). We don’t know what will cure Parkinson’s – although we have some ideas (starting with the ability to breach the blood-brain barrier). We don’t know how Parkinson’s will progress – it’s different for everybody. We don’t know what each day will hold – caregivers often report that “every hour is different.” 

So what does the future hold? Without a crystal ball, it still seems clear that the future of Parkinson’s is younger and more widespread than its past. It’s up to us, as a human service organization, to prepare for a future in which the people who seek out our services have fewer financial reserves and less built-in support. 

Endeavors like Parkinson’s Awareness Month – which raises awareness about the disease, broadcast our services to a wider audience, and raises money for our free support groups, Wellness Village resource directory, and one-on-one counseling – are an important piece of the puzzle. 

What we don’t know may pale in comparison to what we do know, but what we do HAVE is a powerful community. What we do have is curiosity and a commitment to finding solutions big and small.  

Read on for EPA OK’S USE OF CONTROVERSIAL HERBICIDE, AN INTRODUCTION TO CONSERVATORSHIPS, THE RUNNER, TREATING INFLAMMATION PROVIDES HOPE; A CAREGIVER’S LULLABY, SUPPORT GROUPS AND SPECIAL EVENTS, PARKINSON’S AWARENESS MONTH, and DON’T FORGET TO BREATHE.

Until next month, REMEMBER International Women’s Day on March 8th, St. Patrick’s Day on March 17th, First Day of Spring on March 19th, and Easter Sunday on March 31st. The flower is the Daffodil and the birthstone is Aquamarine. 

ALWAYS remember to CELEBRATE YOU and LEAD WITH LOVE.