World Parkinson’s Day, Tuesday, 11 April, 2017, was marked in the Clock Towers Shopping Centre last week by the Parkinson’s UK Rugby Branch, who were joined by local Member of Parliament Mark Pawsey, President of the Rugby Branch.
This year, World Parkinson’s Week marked the 200th anniversary of the disease being recognised as a medical condition. Parkinson’s UK is focusing on raising funds for research to help find new and better treatments for people with the disease; the main drug, levodopa, which people with Parkinson’s rely on has not changed for over 50 years. There is currently no cure for the disease, though Parkinson’s UK hope that with further research and funding more progress can be made to finding a cure.
Mark said:
“I was delighted to be able to join members of the Rugby Parkinson’s UK Branch in the Clock Towers last week to help raise awareness of Parkinson’s. It was great to see the generosity of local people who were interested in finding out about, and supporting, the important work of Parkinson’s UK.”
Mark continued:
“Since Parkinson’s was first identified as a medical condition 200 years ago, we’ve seen a tremendous improvement in working to treat the symptoms and help those with Parkinson’s to live as full a life as possible. However, it is clear that there is still more work to do to get the breakthrough in Parkinson’s treatment that people deserve.”
Mark concluded:
“As President of the Rugby Branch of Parkinson’s UK, I have had the opportunity to meet with a number of people with Parkinson’s to better understand the challenges they face. It was great to be able to speak to both those with Parkinson’s in Rugby and local people about the importance of continuing to invest in research to find a cure for Parkinson’s.”
Steve Ford, Chief Executive, Parkinson’s UK said:
“In the past 200 years we have made many strides forward, but people with Parkinson’s are still waiting for a treatment that can tackle the condition head on. Parkinson’s can leave people struggling to walk, talk and sleep. Today, we won’t wait any longer. That’s why Parkinson’s UK is spearheading, with the expertise of the research community and the support of those living with Parkinson’s, the step change needed to deliver better treatments and a cure faster.”