17 hours Ago By Anthony Bunn
An everyday trip to buy goods turned into a reckoning for Diane Martin when it came to the Thurgoona resident dealing openly having Parkinson's disease. or signup to continue reading "I was out shopping and saw this lady I hadn't seen for ages and she said to me 'are you OK?' and I went to say 'I'm fine' and I stopped and said 'no I'm not, I have Parkinson's'," Mrs Martin said. "It was like an explosion inside because I had said it outside of the home and out aloud for the first time.
"It was a real moment, so I know for a lot of people if they've never said it aloud and shared it that it can be hard, but I think it can also be cathartic." Helping those with the neurological condition is the aim of Shake It Up for Parkinson's, an event organised by Mrs Martin and being held at the Thurgoona Community Centre from 11am to 1pm on Friday, April 11. She said her experience had prompted her to arrange the occasion which is aimed at those with Parkinson's but also their carers, family and friends.
It will include four guest speakers and four therapists talking about treatment and support. "Parkinson's can feel very isolating, but we wanted to break that down by offering a day filled with warmth, understanding, and some practical tools to help people navigate their journey," Mrs Martin said. It has the backing of support groups, including to assist those under the age of 65 who have been diagnosed with Parkinson's.
Its founders Wayne Price and Rocky Sutherland were on hand as Mrs Martin spoke to about her experience with their organisation. "I think a lot of people think support groups are just a negative thing where you talk about everything that's wrong, whereas it's far from that," she said. Mr Sutherland said events such as Shake It Up for Parkinson's were important to attract those concerned about revealing their condition.
"It tends to be the working-age people, they're worried about their work doing something," Mr Sutherland said. Shake It Up for Parkinson's will involve a sausage sizzle as well as talks and discussions. For more information and to reserve a place go to Daily Today's top stories curated by our news team.
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