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Parkinson's support group gets a little financial help

Hampton Inn and Homewood Suites raised money to help with education
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Hampton Inn and Homewood Suites raised $612 for the Parkinson's Support Group of Sudbury. On hand for the donation was, from left, hotel GM Peter Nykilchuk, support group members Nora Lea Arcand, Wayne Arcand, Lillian Hildebrandt, Bruno Hildebrandt, Claire Sheridan, hotel representative Angela Labbe and support group member Chris Sheridan. (Arron Pickard/Sudbury.com)

In Ontario, there are 40,0000 people living with Parkinson's Disease, said the president of a local support group for patients and their caregivers.

Furthermore, 25 people a day are diagnosed in Canada with the progressive neurological disease, for which there is no cure, said Wayne Arcand, president, Parkinson's Support Group of Sudbury. He's a caregiver for his wife, Nora Lea Arcand.

The local support group has a mailing list of about 150 people in Greater Sudbury. Monthly meetings are held the third Wednesday of every month at All Nations

Church at 2 p.m. 
“It's about education and support,” said Arcand. “Everyone is in a different stage of the disease, so we are able to encourage and support one another along the way.”

Parkinson's is becoming more of a young person's disease, he said. Where it used to be thought of as an old person's disease, 20 per cent of people in Quebec who have Parkinson's is younger than 50 years old. And, it's not unheard of for people in their 30s to have early onset, he said.

The support group was the beneficiary of fundraising efforts from the Hampton Inn and Homewood Suites. Through dressing-down days and other events, staff managed to raise $612.

The money will go towards educational materials and other activities for people with Parkinson's Disease, such as exercise classes.
The money is truly appreciated, Arcand said.

The local support group is now preparing for it's Superwalk on Sept. 2, with all money raised going directly to research to find a cure for Parkinson's. 

Then, dozens of people will travel to Greater Sudbury from Sault Ste. Marie, Timmins, Kirkland Lake and North Bay for a one-day conference Arcand call's “Parkinson's 101.”

“There are a lot of newly diagnosed Parkinson's patients, and we'll be there to help them know what to expect,” he said.

The conference is for Parkinson's patience and their caregivers, but anyone who is interested in learning more about the disease is also welcome to attend, he said.
 


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Arron Pickard

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