I recently sent an email out to all of our email subscribers with the following message. Because I know everybody is not signed up to receive Parkinson Canada emails, I am sharing it as a blog post today.

Living well with Parkinson’s is still possible, but only if the right supports are in place. This isn’t an easy disease.

Today I’d like to tell you about a staggering reality we’re facing, and let you know that living well with Parkinson’s is possible AND a future without Parkinson’s is still possible too. We need your support; together I know we can achieve something incredible!

What we know today:

• 100,000 Canadians are currently living with Parkinson’s right now. This disease can be isolating, debilitating, physically and mentally exhausting for people living with Parkinson’s and their families. 
• Today, 30 more people in this country will hear the words “you have Parkinson’s” for the first time. In the next 10 years, that number is expected to climb to 50 per day. 
• 1 in 5 people living with Parkinson’s in this country wait a year or more to receive a formal diagnosis after reporting their symptoms to a medical professional. 
• There is only one Parkinson’s specialist for every 1,400 people with Parkinson’s in Canada. 
• More than ⅓ of people with Parkinson’s are forced to pay for some of their medications out of pocket, and that number is even higher for other expenses like physiotherapy.   
• Entire families across the country are impacted by Parkinson’s, and many have no idea where to turn or the best ways to move forward. 

How your support helps:

1. 1. Your support helps us get the Canadian Edition of the Every Victory Counts© manual into the hands of Canadians, free of charge. So far, more than 2,000 Canadians have benefited from this resource, which is filled with essential information to help people living with Parkinson’s from 50 leading Parkinson’s physicians, allied health professionals and people living with Parkinson’s.
   2. Your generosity is helping us deliver free webinars nationwide to more than 10,000 people. These webinars cover every topic from cutting-edge Parkinson’s research updates, to exercise tips and mental health support.
   3. Your compassion helps fund Parkinson’s research that may have otherwise never seen the light of day. This past year, approximately $1.4 million in research grants and awards were given to scientists to support their research and career in finding new treatments and a cure.
   4. Your kindness makes support groups and peer support programs possible. Nobody should have to face Parkinson’s alone, so thank you for this.
   5. Your gift funds advocacy initiatives that make sure governments cannot ignore the needs of people living with Parkinson’s.
   6. Your care for others ensures support is always here, through our information and referral helpline, and several other important support resources that help people living with Parkinson’s at every step of their journey.

Please support Parkinson Canada today. One of our generous donors has offered to double donations dollar-for-dollar, which means you can make a bigger difference right now than ever before.

Support Parkinson Canada

Thank you for all that you do to make this community a better place to be.

Sincerely,

Karen Lee, PhD
President & CEO
Parkinson Canada