HOPE AND YOUNG ONSET PARKINSON’S DISEASE
When you envision someone living with Parkinson’s disease, what comes to mind? Are they a rock climber? An American Ninja Warrior? A nurse? Or perhaps the parent of a young child? Probably not.
What you might be surprised to learn is that people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) defy expectations every day — and for people like Bryan, Allison, and Steven, who are each living with young onset Parkinson’s disease (YOPD), surpassing expectations is just a part of daily life.
How do PD and YOPD differ?
Generally, PD is diagnosed later in life and most commonly seen in people over the age of 60. Of the 60,000 new cases of PD diagnosed each year, roughly 6,000 to 12,000 have YOPD, with half of those falling under age 40.
While people diagnosed with PD and YOPD experience similar symptoms, those with YOPD often must face a unique set of challenges that come along with the diagnosis. Juggling the social, financial, and mental impacts of their diagnosis at an earlier stage of life — while also managing the symptoms of their chronic, neurological disorder — can make their experience quite different from that of their older counterparts. Dating, parenting, and career progression are just a few of the additional concerns that someone with YOPD could be navigating.
Living life to the fullest with YOPD
Bryan, Allison, and Steven are tackling their PD journeys with optimism. For Bryan and his wife, Julia, building a routine together has helped Bryan better manage his YOPD — and now he can balance his career as a nurse, being a father to their infant son, and rock climbing to stay active.
“YOPD creates a lot of unique challenges, and most people will not understand what we are going through, but you are not alone… Communication is the foundation of [my and Julia’s] relationship,” says Bryan.
Allison and Steven’s PD journeys began separately — and now they’re living life to the fullest together. Allison has been living with PD since 2014, and in the years since, she has competed in American Ninja Warrior, ran a marathon, and started a blog that shares her story.
“Tomorrow isn’t promised for any of us,” says Allison. “Now if I want to do something, I do it. That includes having no limits in life.”
Steven was diagnosed with YOPD in 2010, and after hearing Allison’s story in a podcast, he reached out. Now, they’re sharing their love and their experiences with PD in their YouTube video series, In Love with Parkinson’s.
While PD affects each person who has it differently, there’s one thing that unites every member of our community — hope. You can watch Bryan, Julia, Steven, and Allison answer questions and share their inspiring stories in a recent episode of Dr. Gilbert Hosts .