personal reflections Kelsey and her grandmother
Creating Memories By Kelsey Sparling The most vivid memories I have of my grandma are about spending time with her and my grandpa on their farm in Wisconsin. Coming from a suburb of the Twin Cities in Minnesota, I always looked forward playing outside on grandpa’s riding lawn mower or watching grandma bake cookies. Another great thing about my grandparent’s farm was celebrating the holidays there. My cousins, sister and I would wear little elf hats, sort out presents and assign seats to everyone. My grandparents eventually moved to a more manageable townhome when it became too difficult for my grandmother to move around on the farm. My mother told me that grandma was diagnosed with Parkinson’s when she was sixty-two years old, before I was born. Her symptoms began with tremors in her hands, which were a challenge for her because she was always creating things for all her grandchildren. A gift from
grandma almost always included something that she had knitted. Anytime I saw her, she would be knitting beautiful sweaters or blankets. As her Parkinson’s progressed, she picked up other hobbies such as crocheting with large hooks or decorating dish towels and pillows with craft paint. She still sustains her love for arts and crafts by working with yarn and admiring designs in pattern books. Though it is difficult to watch a disease impact someone I love, watching her continue her love of arts and crafts and spending time with her allows us to cherish our time together as a family. Kelsey Sparling is a senior at Drake University in Des Moines majoring in Health Sciences. She is from Apple Valley, Minnesota.
upcoming events, training, education
Save the Date!
what’s coming up? Attend the PAN Forum: Scholarships Still Available! The PAN (Parkinson’s Action Network) Forum is an exciting three-day conference held in Washington, D.C. February 25-27, 2013, bringing together Parkinson’s advocates from across the nation. Attendees gather to learn the latest in public policy and research in Parkinson’s disease. Working together, Forum attendees increase awareness of Parkinson’s and learn how to advocate on Capitol Hill for better treatments and a cure. You can be part of finding better treatments and a cure for Parkinson’s disease. 12
Friday, June 14 – Annual Parkinson’s Disease Conference at the Lutheran Church of Hope, 925 Jordan Creek Parkway, West Des Moines, Iowa You can learn more about new research and how federal funding of biomedical research generates private-sector investment, supports local economies, and gets us closer to a cure. You can witness and be a part of the power of advocacy while educating your Senators and Representative about how Parkinson’s disease affects you, your family and community. Scholarships are available to subsidize travel costs and hotel accommodations. The deadline to apply is December 7. To register for the Forum or apply for a scholarship, please visit www.thepanforum.org, or call 800-850-4726 with any questions.
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