Statement: New charity for Parkinsons sufferers
New Parkinson’s Charity ‘Move4Parkinson’s’ is launched to coincide with Parkinson’s Awareness Month
- Charity draws on personal experiences of People with Parkinson’s
- 5 Key Areas can help improve quality of life for People with Parkinson’s
Tuesday 17th April 2011: A new charity called ‘Move4Parkinson’s', which provides practical support to help improve the quality of life for people with Parkinson’s will be launched later this morning. The charity is the brainchild of Margaret Mullarney from Dublin who herself has had Parkinson’s for the past eight years.
‘Move4Parkinson’s’ taps directly into the individual everyday experiences of people living with Parkinson’s and draws on this first-hand experience to educate, encourage and empower others with Parkinson’s to reach their full potential and improve their quality of life.
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological disorder, which so far cannot be cured. Over 10,000 people in Ireland live with Parkinson’s disease and the symptoms experienced by people vary greatly from person to person.
Founder Margaret Mullarney says, “Move4Parkinson’s’ is inspired by my own personal journey in living with Parkinson’s and the journeys of the many others I have met and spoken with. I’ve learned that there are always options open to us if we can educate ourselves, make choices and keep moving on a physical, mental and emotional level to do the best we can in managing our illness.
I hope ‘Move4Parkinson’s’ will empower people to better manage their condition and that our collective experiences and stories in living with Parkinson’s will not just be a source of motivation but a practical support which gets results and improves people’s lives.”
‘Move4Parkinson’s’ Approach
‘Move4Parkinson’s’ has developed what it believes are the five core areas that patients can explore to help achieve an improved quality of life. These are:-
1. Medication Awareness
2. Nutrition
3. Exercise
4. Emotional Well-Being; and
5. Optional Treatments.
In unique talks given by Margaret Mullarney and other members of ‘Move4Parkinson’s', people with Parkinson’s are encouraged to look at each area and then pick some small element(s) in one or more areas which they believe can help improve their individual quality of life. In recognising the individual nature of the illness, it is important for people to remember that there is no “one size fits all” solution, it is what works best for each individual patient.
In welcoming ‘Move4Parkinson’s’ Professor Tim Lynch, Consultant Neurologist at the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital and founder and Director of the Dublin Neurological Institute said, “As a clinician I encourage people to become involved with ‘Move4Parkinson’s’. Non-Motor symptoms have a huge affect on the quality of life for people with Parkinson’s but this area is often overlooked. Physical activity on a daily basis is important for everyone but especially people with Parkinson’s and other neurological and muscular disorders as it can improve overall health as well as emotional well-being.”
Disability advocate and Founder of Kanchi and the O2 Ability Awards Caroline Casey and patron to the charity says. “I know from personal experience how challenging the “unexpected” can be and sometimes how hard it is to come to terms with the limitations of our bodies. But I also know how empowering it can be to be heard, to be understood, to find others who “get me” and to discover different ways or solutions that make life easier! Move4Parkinsons is about creating an empowering movement where all the impossibles are challenged, where a person can belong, be ambitious and, most importantly, can find practical ways to live the fullest life. I am hugely proud to be asked to be a patron and congratulate Move4Parkinsons from bringing their creativity, energy and dynamism to an illness that is often misunderstood and invisible”
Contact Details and Events
Anyone who wishes to contact ‘Move4Parkinson’s’ can email Margaret Mullarney or Catherine Fox on info@move4parkinsons.com or log onto www.move4parkinsons.com for further contact details.
Margaret is available to give talks to patient or community groups, carers and medical professionals.
“Move4Parkinsons’ will hold a Patient Empowerment day on Wednesday 20th June (details to follow) to coincide with The Movement Disorder Society’s 16th International Congress of Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders which takes place from June 17th to 21st at The Convention Centre Dublin (www.mdscongress2012.org).
April is designated Parkinson’s Awareness Month in Ireland and the UK.
Further Information:
email: maria@gordonmrm.ie
