AMERICAN PARKINSON DISEASE ASSOCIATION KICKS-OFFPARKINSON’S DISEASE AWARENESS MONTH & CELEBRATES THEUNSHAKEABLE SPIRIT OF PEOPLE LIVING WITH PD
From Coast to Coast, APDA is Connecting, Supporting & Engaging the
Parkinson’s Community. Awareness is Needed Now More than Ever.
NEW YORK, NY, March 28, 2022 — April is Parkinson’s Disease Awareness Month and the American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA) is hard at work to raise awareness of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and to celebrate the unshakeable spirit of the PD community. With a new diagnosis every nine minutes and approximately one million people in the United States living with PD, this work is more important than ever and Parkinson’s Disease Awareness Month is an opportune time to shine a spotlight on this issue.
All month long APDA will celebrate the spirit of the PD community to bring much-needed attention to this disease. From the dedicated researchers who forge ahead with unshakeable determination to find better treatments and a cure; to the care partners who provide unshakeable support day after day; to the people diagnosed with PD who live their lives with unshakeable spirit, optimism, and hope, despite the daily challenges they face – APDA is here for all of them and has a full roster of activities planned for the month (and beyond), with many ways for people to get involved. Look for messages of inspiration and information throughout April on all APDA social media channels using #UnshakeableSpirit. People are invited to share their own messages and images of unshakeable spirit, determination, and support via social media (find APDA at @apdaparkinsons on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter).
The past two years have been a struggle for everyone, but even more so for those who were already facing the challenges of life with PD, especially those in underserved, under-resourced, and rural communities. To keep the PD community supported, connected, and safe, APDA created extensive virtual programming to make sure that people living with PD had what they needed throughout the pandemic — from online exercise programs to help keep people moving when they couldn’t get to their in-person fitness classes, to educational webinars where they could ask PD experts their questions right from their own living rooms. APDA also expanded their Spanish-language resources, including new booklets and fact sheets, educational webinars, a Spanish version of APDA Symptom Tracker app (and more) to help Spanish-speaking people with PD greatly increase their ability to access care and advocate for themselves. APDA has been there for the PD community every step of the way. Many of the virtual programs continue, with in-person events and activities resuming at APDA Chapters and APDA Information & Referral Centers across the country as well. To find if there is APDA support in a specific area, visit www.apdaparkinson.org/community. To reach APDA in Spanish, call 800-223-2732, email at apda@apdaparkinson.org, or visit www.apdaparkinson.org/espanol.
“Every nine minutes there is a new diagnosis of PD, which means that in April alone nearly 5,000 people in this country will learn they have PD,” states Leslie A. Chambers, President and CEO of APDA. “Across the country, we are the boots on the ground – we are in the communities, providing the support, education, programs, and services people need to live their best lives. We are here for them, with our unshakeable support, every day.” Chambers continues, “We’re thankful we’ve been able to maintain this critical support virtually during the pandemic, but we’re really looking forward to seeing our PD community in person once again.”
Support from the general public is crucial, and April is the perfect time for people to take action and help the one million people in the United States coping with this chronic neurological movement disorder. People can help by raising awareness of PD or by making a donation that enables APDA to continue their critical work and fund research that will lead us to better treatments and ultimately, a cure; every effort makes a difference.
For more information about APDA programs, services, support, and PD research visit www.apdaparkinson.org, call 800-223-2732, or email apda@apdaparkinson.org.
About the American Parkinson Disease Association:
The American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA) is the largest grassroots network dedicated to fighting Parkinson’s disease (PD) and works tirelessly to help the more than one million people in the U.S. with PD live life to the fullest in the face of this chronic, neurological disorder. Founded in 1961, APDA has raised and invested more than $226 million to provide outstanding patient services and educational programs, elevate public awareness about the disease, and support research designed to unlock the mysteries of PD and ultimately put an end to this disease. To join us in the fight against Parkinson’s disease and to learn more about the support APDA provides nationally through our network of Chapters and Information & Referral (I&R) Centers, as well as our national Research Program and Centers for Advanced Research, please visit us at www.apdaparkinson.org.