After leaving her doctor’s office two years ago, Marie Donnelly walked out to her car and burst into tears.
“I just sat and cried for a long time thinking about how my life had just changed,” she remembers. “How could someone like me – a person who loves to move and has a very healthy lifestyle – end up with a movement disorder?”
Focusing on what’s still possible
Diagnosed with Parkinson’s at 59, Marie called Parkinson’s Canada the very next day. “They were so supportive, helpful, and made me feel so much better,” she recalls. “They gave me help and I did not feel alone.”
Fast forward to today… Marie’s perspective is a lot more positive, and she’s learned that it’s still possible to do the activities she loves. cross-country and downhill skiing, triathlon, cycling, swimming, running, hiking and canoe tripping.
While she admits that the additional effort and determination required can be frustrating at times, thinking about what she’s still able to accomplish inspires her to keep going.
Achieving new goals
Setting goals has helped Marie to stay focused on her mental and physical health, and not on the negative aspects of Parkinson’s. Six months after her diagnosis she participated in a ski race in Iceland. By being more cautious and increasing her medication, she completed a 25km skate ski event and the next day finished the 50km classic race high up on the fjords!
Marie’s most recent accomplishment was raising more than $12,000 for Parkinson Canada through the Growling Beaver Brevet, which involved biking 100 kilometres along a hilly gravel route.
A regular exercise and strength routine coupled with the right medication have helped Marie to maintain her fitness goals and overall quality of life. She reminds herself she can only do the best she can; there will be good days and bad days, as we all have.
But this she knows for sure: thanks to medical research and organizations like Parkinson Canada, there will be many ways she can continue to be an active person, a contributing member to society, and live a fun, healthy life with her family and friends.
Time-limited community challenge: until December 13, 2023 only!
Your support in the next 48 hours will help 200 people with Parkinson’s! Make a $35 donation today and Parkinson Canada will send someone a hard copy of Every Victory Counts – the premier resource for people living with Parkinson’s – at no cost. If 70 people do this, Lucien Beauchemin, a generous donor living with Parkinson’s, will contribute an additional 140 copies. Help more than 200 people with Parkinson’s benefit from this resource in less than 48 hours! Make your $35 donation now.