Parkinson's patient finds hope through Michael J. Fox Foundation

FAIRHOPE, Alabama -- A sense of doom enveloped Jayne Godfrey when doctors diagnosed her in 2007 with early onset Parkinsons disease at 39.

"It was depressing," said the Spanish Fort mother of two, paralegal and recreational runner. "Doctors told me, You have a progressive neurological disease for which there is no cure. I kept thinking, Could this be a wrong diagnosis? Where was the hope?"

A persistent tremor and increasingly frequent falls while jogging brought Godfrey to neurologists in Fairhope and in Jacksonville, Fla. at the Mayo Clinic. "My life was unraveling and I had to do something about it," Godfrey said.

The diagnosis confirmed her worst fears. "It was so absolutely devastating for both of us," Godfreys mother, Mary Robbins of Daphne, said. "You are told there is no hope. It is a death sentence."

But during an Internet search for information about the chronic, progressive movement disorder, Godfrey happened upon to The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinsons Research. It was a beacon in an otherwise bleak landscape, connecting Godfrey to others in the Parkinsons community and illuminating her with knowledge and hope.

Established in 2001 by actor Michael J. Fox, who has Parkinsons, the foundations mission is to find a cure for Parkinsons disease through an aggressively funded research agenda and ensure the development of improved therapies for Parkinsons patients. Team Fox, the Fox Foundations grassroots fundraising organization, has raised more than $15 million since its inception.

"It is pretty remarkable what he has been able to do, mobilizing the Parkinsons community, getting us up off the couch and feeling sorry for ourselves to raising money for Parkinsons research," said Godfrey, a volunteer and activist for the organization since 2007. "By participating in the Michael J. Fox Foundation, we are our own hope."

Fairhope resident Susie Glickman, a Parkinsons patient who volunteers with Team Fox, contends Foxs Foundation has pushed Parkinsons research ahead 30 years. "Any research that shows promise, he will fund," she said.

Currently, Godfrey, Glickman and Robbins are gearing up for Delta Starlight Shining for the Cure A Team Fox for Parkinsons Research Event. The event is set for Sept. 13 from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Five Rivers Delta Resource Centers Delta Hall on the Causeway in Spanish Fort. Tickets are $50 and include a catered barbecue dinner, a full cash bar, silent auction, live music by The Wes Loper Band, dancing, raffle items and door prizes. Mobile neurologist Dr. Timothy Hecker and a foundation representative will address attendees.

"We draw people in with the food, entertainment and music and we educate them about our purpose," Godfrey said.

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Parkinson's patient finds hope through Michael J. Fox Foundation