April Means Parkinson's

It seems impossible that it has been three years since this picture was taken and purely by chance did it and I turn out in this fashion. I was at St Louis Airport waiting to get on a plane to New York City by myself, much to the dislike of ALL my family to meet total strangers from the internet.....me a retired goat farmer from Illinois who knew nothing of New York City. I had made all my reservations myself and was determined to go to the Parkinson Unity Walk in Central Park. My daughter escorted me to the gate and looked like the world was coming to an end as she took this picture. Little did I know that in the back ground it said "Turn to God". I was only a shadow in God's light from then on. The last three years have been filled with people no one could have told me were coming into my life. I have been to places I would have never been. I have been so sick I just knew I was dying and some how lived for another day and another adventure....and then there is my passion...Unity Walks. This year is the 16th annual and I am team captain of Team Patientslikme, named after the web site we post on. Our little team started January 1st with nothing and now have $6300.00 collected for research, and we are still going. We run a total daily on the site and on Facebook. We all but beg for every cent we get. We have not had corporate matching as some have. We are just a little bunch of Parkinson's patients and their families or spouses who said,Yes, I Can and remembered this little phrase:

No matter what the task may be, How hard the course you face; Believe that you have what it takes To run life's toughest race.

And off we go to meet in New York City, some for their first time, me for my third. Some with more money than others, but all with hearts of gold. All will feel that surge when the Walk begins and they realize they are one of thousands and tears come to their eyes and all will feel so much pride when over the finish line they come. Some will have canes and some will have walkers, some will be in wheel chairs and some can still walk on their own but in their minds and that's every mind, they can fly. They can fly like angels if for just one day because they turned to God at the Parkinson Unity Walk in New York City. Just in case you have not checked the totals, $684,371.00 has been collected so far and we are not done by any means. If you want to experience a life altering experience in your life time, whether you have Parkinson's or not, come to Central Park and help us Celebrate Life as it is........Love Pokie

Team Patientslikeme at $5120.00 for PUW

You know what, I am running out of words to describe this group of people I have become so happy to run around with. Never in my life have I felt so at ease with so many people from so many walks of life. The sick the well, the wealthy the poor, the educated and the not can all be blended very well in most any situation when it comes to Parkinson's and our time to shine is fast upon us. April Fools Day starts our month, National Parkinson's Month. Some say our color is red. Some say it is silver. I tend to sway toward the red tulip....only because Karen Painter was the first to hand deliver one of her hand made pens to me in Atlanta at the YOPN Conference in 2008. That was my first attended Parkinson's conference and I had just started blogging. I still have that pin and where it to every major function I attend for Parkinson's and with total PRIDE. I look at my Team at the Unity Walk and watch it grow daily. I post the totals every day on Patientslikeme.com as I will today ....Team Patientslikeme $5120.00 $541,060.00 over all. Proud just seems so shallow a term for a group that started with not one sent January 1 and has over$5000.00 three months later and sure to get more in the next month. We're proud of our home site and want the world to know. The phone calls are going constantly and emails are flying. What we may have casually mentioned before we are begging for now.....The thing that spurs me on is that every penny of this goes to research....EVERY PENNY.... never forget that is so important. I am starting to pack my bag. Yes I start early because the assortment is huge and the airport is harsh...I have even been known to mail gifts to the hotel I am staying at....I know I will have to send a package home...I did last year. I hope somehow I can touch each person and tell them the love they have brought to my life will never be forgotten and be forever cherished. This is not only the members of my team, but people I have met on the street at the Today Show, Very special organizers of other walks, bloggers from all over the world, and those who have written articles about me and to me. We have some how all become one big family and it feels very good and comforting....thank you Pokie