A Parkinson’s Story from a Family Member

By Erin Ferrier

In February 2025, my mother passed away from Parkinson’s disease dementia. She was 77 years old. April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month.

When early signs of Parkinson’s started approximately 10-15 years ago, my mother claimed it was just old age. She ignored the symptoms. By the time she did seek a diagnosis to qualify for hospice care, her quality of life had significantly diminished. By the time she was officially diagnosed, she was terminal. She passed away a month later. No one in the family was surprised by the Parkinson’s diagnosis. You don’t have to suffer in silence. Please seek help.

Parkinson’s by the numbers

Parkinson’s is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder in the U.S., following Alzheimer’s. It affects more than multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, and ALS combined. While most diagnoses occur after age 60, Parkinson’s can affect younger people too.

Parkinson’s is a complex neurological disorder that can affect almost every part of the body, ranging from how you move to how you feel to how you think and process.

Symptoms like shoulder pain, depression, sleep issues, constipation, and loss of smell can appear long before motor symptoms but are often subtle and overlooked until after diagnosis.

According to Davis Phinney Foundation for Parkinson’s: It is not life-threatening in itself, but complications can be serious. It is progressive, meaning symptoms and effects get worse over time. There is no single cause or predictor, though researchers have discovered genetic and environmental factors may influence the development.

How Parkinson’s Affects the Brain

Parkinson’s is a brain disorder linked to the loss of dopamine-producing nerve cells (neurons) deep inside the brain.Dopamine’s role: Dopamine is a neurotransmitter (chemical substance) that helps regulate the body’s movement, coordination, and control. Impact of low dopamine: Less dopamine means difficulty with movement control and reduced mobility. Many treatments aim to replace or enhance dopamine.

Parkinson’s Progression

Parkinson’s is both chronic and progressive, meaning symptoms will change and worsen over time. The rate of progression varies by individual. While Parkinson’s itself doesn’t directly cause death, complications like choking, pneumonia, or falls can be life-threatening in late stages of the disease.

Understanding Parkinson’s Symptoms

Parkinson’s is officially classified as a movement disorder because it involves damage to the areas of the brain, nerves, and muscles that control the speed, quality, and ease of movement. While motor symptoms like tremor, stiffness, and slowness are often the most visible signs, non-motor symptoms, such as mood changes, sleep problems, and cognitive challenges, can have an even greater impact on your quality of life.

Parkinson’s is a complex condition that causes a wide range of symptoms, which may begin years before diagnosis and change as the disease progresses. These can include: Pre-motor symptoms: early non-motor symptoms like loss of smell, constipation, depression, or anxiety. Motor symptoms: movement-related issues that typically appear after significant loss of dopamine-producing nerve cells, such as tremor and balance problems

Non-motor symptoms: challenges not directly related to movement, including changes in mood, thinking, sleep, digestion, and blood pressure.

No two people experience Parkinson’s in the same way, and not everyone will have the same symptoms or progression.Symptoms can combine in ways that feel overwhelming. For example, poor sleep may worsen fatigue and intensify mood changes like anxiety or apathy.

The Davis Phinney Foundation for Parkinson’s emphasizes being informed about the range of possible symptoms helping you and your family take meaningful action to live well today.

“The important thing is to make a commitment to start. Stop waiting and start moving. Your goal isn’t simply to accept Parkinson’s. Your goal is to live well.” – Davis Phinney