Partnerships for Parkinson's

Do you believe that events in your life happen for a reason? I always have but my more recent events illustrate this more than ever.

Have  you seen the movie “The Blues Brothers”?

I was in Chicago some 25 years ago and stumbled upon the filming a scene for the movie. It was the car drop scene but that isn’t important. It seemed to be an insignificant event, or was it? You see, the premise of the movie is the reassembly of the band “The Blues Brothers” and their need to play a large event to raise money to save the St. Helen Orphanage from tax foreclosure. Jake (John Belushi) has an awakening while attending Sunday Mass at the Triple Rock Church. As he is basked in sunlight streaming through a stained glass window, Reverend Cliophis James ( James Brown) asks “Have you seen the light?”. He did and he embarked on his “mission from God.”

Nice plotline Mike, but has this to do with you and Parkinson’s Disease, you may be asking.

Well lets jump to Easter Sunday 2006.

As a Parkinson’s Patient I take a drug, Mirapex, which has a side-effect of an uncontrollable urge to sleep. I was in Mass at 4PM and we had just reached the homily. I sat there and found myself struggling to stay awake. I was so drowsy I thought I would hit my head on the pew in front of me as I fell into an unconscious state. My head bobbed up and down as I fought to stay awake. Suddenly I lurched my head upright. My mind began to race. I was WIDE awake.

I began to think of my life, my circumstances. I thought about my wife, my children, my career and my Parkinson’s. My career was at a crossroad. My company was about to be taken over by our larger rival. I had worked for this company befor and knew the cultures between the two were polar opposites. I have been fortunate though and have developed quite a network of contacts.

I began to think about Michael J Fox and what he has done with his foundation for  Parkinson’s research. Is there a role I could play in this foundation I pondered.

These thoughts all raced in my mind in a little over 3 minutes. I was convinced that I was being offered guidance for my career. I had my awakening at Church, on this a day of new beginnings, a day for fresh starts. I returned home. There my children were watching TV. KARE 11 was airing Dateline NBC. I sat to watch. A woman was speaking. She turned out to be Lonnie Ali, Mohammad’s wife. She said, “Mohammad believes things in life happen for a reason.”

I couldn’t believe my ears. The story then went into a segment on ….

Michael J Fox. He spoke of “making a difference”,”doing something that matters”, and “giving back.”

It was clear to me. Things do happen for reason. I have Parkinson’s- first in my family. Having this disease now has meaning.

I left my job. I started a business. PFP Inc. I have applied with the IRS for non profit status ( 501 (c) 3).

I will work to raise funds for Parkinson’s Organizations like Fox, the Struther’s Parkinson’s Center (here in the Twin Cities) ,and will work to educate the public and raise awareness of Parkinson’s Disease.

This brings us to today–

Together we can continue to script new chapters to this story….