LAFAYETTE, La. (KATC) — April is Parkinson's Awareness Month.
Parkinson's disease is the most frequently diagnosed neurological condition in the world, but health experts and patients alike agree that it is still misunderstood — which is why research is so important — and why Linda Rome is trying to do her part to help.
After receiving a shocking diagnosis four years ago, Rome, a retired teacher and lifelong Lafayette local, says she finally accepts it and is now choosing to "Stop Hiding and Start Living" with Parkinson's. She is speaking out on the subject, even putting together a local fundraiser for the widely-known Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, a non-profit organization that has raised more than $185 million for research on the disease since 2006.
"I used to think Parkinson's only affected much older people, but no two people experience Parkinson's in exactly the same way," Rome said. "You might look at me and not even know I have Parkinson's, but the disease looks different in everyone and progresses at different rates."
Parkinson's disease is a progressive movement disorder of the nervous system, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. It happens when nerve cells, or neurons, in parts of the brain responsible for producing dopamine weaken, become damaged, or die. Dopamine is not only known as the "feel-good" chemical but is also a neurotransmitter that allows the body to move. Without enough dopamine, a person may experience tremors, fatigue, slow movement, speech difficulties, falls, and other symptoms. This condition typically worsens over time.
"That's why research is so important — you can go to many different therapies for Parkinson's, but we still need to find a cure," Rome said.
If you'd like to participate in Rome's fundraising efforts for Parkinson's research, you can click here for the fundraiser and here for the silent auction. The online event is opening on midnight on April 1, the first day of Parkinson's Awareness Month, with pledges and bids being accepted through midnight on Sunday, April 12.
