Parkinson's Walk hopes to raise awareness, offer hope to others

03/07/08
By Aimee L. Harmison
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His muscles hurt, his joints ached and he was always tired. There was doctor after doctor and test after test, but no one could quite pinpoint what was making Johnny sick. Maybe it was his heart, or maybe arthritis, but the final answer was always the same: “We can’t find anything wrong.”

And then one day, he noticed he was shaking. After another trip to the doctor’s office, the 43-year-old father of three was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. For a disease that’s more commonly associated with older individuals, the diagnosis came as a shock to the Hulsey family.

Parkinson’s disease is a chronic progressive neurological disease that affects a small area of nerve cells in brain. These cells normally make chemicals that transmit signals between areas in the brain that coordinate smooth and balanced muscle movement. Parkinson’s disease causes these nerve cells to die, and as a result, body movements are affected.

Johnny has the type known as Young Onset Parkinson’s. Approximately one million Americans have Parkinson’s disease, including three out of every 100 people over the age of 60. The average age at which it is diagnosed is 60. However, about 10 to 20 percent of those diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease are under age 50, and about half of those are diagnosed before age 40.

The Hulseys are members of a support group in Rome called Northwest Georgia Parkinson’s Disease Association. And through the encouragement and backing from the support group, the Hulseys have decided to bring awareness and education to Cedartown through a community-based Parkinson’s Walk for Hope.

“A lot of people aren’t educated about Parkinson’s, especially people who are young. We feel that there are other people that are going through this and we want to educate people and help them find the help and support they need,” Jennifer said.

The Hulseys are quick to point out that the main focus of the walk is to help others.

“Johnny and I are doing this for others, not ourselves. Our entire support group has worked hard for so many years to raise awareness. And they have done an outstanding job,” Jennifer said.

“We just want to help them with what they started. We know how blessed we are, and how hard the struggle is going to be, but we also know that the Lord is going to see us through. And, with support from others we will help find a cure, and stop this tragic disease from happening to others.”

There’s a lot of anxiety for family members when they are dealing with a loved one who’s been diagnosed, she said. “When they are told they have this, they wonder ‘what’s going to happen,’ ‘what will they feel, what will I feel,’ and unless they talk to someone who’s going through it, they won’t know. It’s a scary thing.”

The Hulseys are hoping the walk, which will take place on April 19 in downtown Cedartown, will draw a lot of community participants. They have set a goal of raising $10,000 through the walk.

“The City of Cedartown has been very supportive in letting us do this and we’re hoping for a good turnout. We want anybody that wants to, to come and walk, especially people who have Parkinson’s or people who may know someone who has it,” Hulsey said. “We want at least 1,000 people to come and walk with us.”

There is a $10 registration fee that will help to fund the Northwest Georgia Parkinson’s Disease Association, so they, in turn, can help other support groups in the area. “We want people to feel like they can make a difference without giving up a lot of money,” Hulsey said.

Residents wishing to register can do so online at www.gaparkinsons.org or at Merle Norman on Main Street in Cedartown. Pay the registration fee of $10 before April 1, and you will receive a free T-shirt.

Hulsey said to her knowledge, that this is the only Parkinson’s walk offered in North Georgia. The Hulseys are looking for $100 sponsorships to help fund the walk. Sponsors’ names will be included on the T-shirt. Jennifer is also looking for sponsors to provide water or Gatorade to participants during the walk.

“We know this disease has been placed on us, and we decided that we’re going to help others that are going through this. The Lord has blessed us in so many ways,” Hulsey said. “And if this is our mission in life, then so be it. We want to help as many people as we can.”

For more information on how to register, call Jennifer at 770-546-0286.

For more information about NWGA Parkinson’s Disease Association, call James Trusell, chief volunteer officer, at 706-413-3264.

Find a support group near you:

Rome Support Group: Meets the first and third Tuesday of each month beginning at 6 p.m. at 5th Avenue Baptist Church Fellowship Hall, Rome

Polk County Support Group: Meets the second Thursday of each month beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Polk Medical Center Community Room Calhoun Support Group: Call 706-413-3264 for meeting information

Dalton Support Group: First Meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 8. Meets the second Tuesday of each month beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Dalton Senior Center: Tai Chi Exercise Program. Mondays beginning at 6:00 p.m. at Floyd Senior Adult Recreation Center

Call 706-413-3264 for more information on any of these programs or visit our website at www.gaparkinsons.org