Thanks for taking the time to visit our JustGiving page. For the last few years we have individually been taking on a number of events in support of Parkinson's UK!

2018 we do it as a team!

For 6 months (1 April - 30 September), as a team, we will aim to reach 1000 kilometers by self-propelled excercise - so walking, running, swimming, cycling, hiking, ... anything that gets us moving!

We will record each activity we do and try to smash our target of 1000Km in total.

The team...

• Stewart - Patriarch, Parkinson's Disease sufferer and all-round action man
• Valerie - Mother-hen, Yogi
  
• Stephen - Bionic Knee Footballer
  
• Jenna - Skiing Aberdonian
  
• Nick - Cyclist Extraordinaire
• Nicola - Swimming Upholsterer
  
• Peat - Mascot, Sprinter
  
• Paloma - Mexican Crossfitter wannabe 
• David - the youngest, Fair-weathered Runner
  

As we tackle this challenge, we will be focussing on raising awareness for Parkinson's UK and all the good work they do to support people with Parkinson's Disease and the research that they carry out.

We are also looking to raise funds for the Ayrshire Young Parkinson's Group - a support group which provides information, friendship and support to Ayrshire people with Parkinson's Disease, their families and carers.

So, for 6 months, we will be sporting our Blue Parkinson's UK tops and getting ourselves moving! Any support you can gives us means all the difference!

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Pakinson’s Disease affects as many as 1 in 500 people and on average someone in the UK is told they have Parkinson’s Disease every hour! My Dad is one of those people and has been living with the disease for a number of years. Through his determination he has still been living a very active life, but it's not easy living with Parkinson's Disease. 

Most people will ignore Parkinson's Disease symptoms as they believe that it only affects the old, the truth is it affects all ages, from teenagers to the elderly. (The youngest person diagnosed was 9 years old!).

People with Parkinson's Disease don't have enough of a chemical called dopamine because some nerve cells in their brain have died. The loss of these nerve cells cause the symptoms of Parkinson's Disease to appear, things such as; a tremor, rigidity and slowness of movement.

Not one case of Parkinson’s Disease is exactly the same - Symptoms and how quickly they progress is different for everyone (not everyone has a tremor!). As well as affecting movement, people with Parkinson's can find that other issues, such as; tiredness, pain, insomnia, speech, bladder and bowel problems, depression, skin problems, eye problems, dizziness and  anxiety can have a huge impact on their day-to-day lives.

A quarter of people with Parkinson's Disease even say that they have had their symptoms mistaken for drunkenness! – slowness of movement & difficulty of speaking can be some noticeable signs of Parkinson’s Disease. So remember, a helping hand or friendly word can brighten up anyone's day, but for people with Parkinson's Disease, being patient, kind and understanding means much more.

The main difficulty is that Parkinson’s Disease is a complex condition that is not totally understood: it is difficult to diagnose, there is no cure and we don’t yet know why people get the condition. A lot of work goes into managing Parkinson’s Disease symptoms, but what is really needed is a greater understanding of the Disease and how best to treat it.

You will find more information on Parkinson's Disease and my nominated Charity (Parkinson's UK) at:

http://www.parkinsons.org.uk/content/what-parkinsons

We really appreciate all the support and any donation!
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