If you haven’t heard of Parkinson’s disease, it’s likely that you will. Parkinson’s is a cruel neurodegenerative disease that causes nerve cells in the brain to break down. It is leads to loss of movement, speech, pain and a range of other symptoms, making it deeply disabling and ultimately fatal illness.
Currently 40,000 Belgians are living with the disease; that number is growing and is set to surge - scientists have labelled it a ‘pandemic’, being the fastest growing brain disease in the world. Researchers are for instance linking it to pollution and the use of pesticides on crops. The chance that someone in your family or among your friends gets the disease, or becomes a caretaker, is increasingly likely. The bottom line is, more and more people will suffer from this disease in the near future. To flatten this curve, investment in research around Parkinson’s is urgently needed. The positive news is that scientists are predicting that a cure can be found within ten years: the finish line is literally within reach. That’s why I’m running the Brussels 20 km on May 28th with Run With Parkinson’s to raise money to fund this fundamental research. It would mean the world to me, and the millions of families dealing with the effects of Parkinson’s, if you could contribute to this cause. Every euro helps.
