Interview with TogetherforSharon for Parkinson Magazine Enjoying Life With Parkinson's

Sharon's son George, "My mother was the most caring, loving, positive person I know, and she always put her family and friends first."

Cure

The inspiring journey of Sharon's son George: Advocating for Parkinson's

t George, a man on a mission. His passion for Parkinson's disease advocacy, driven by his mother's memory and his remarkable journey and relentless focus on finding a cure for Parkinson's. George's advocacy spans social media, public speaking, and community events, educating the world about Parkinson's challenges. All the interviews with people all over the world, including me, on togetherforsharon.com.

A great inspiration for us all, let's join him in his fight for more awareness and focus on finding a cure.

Parkinson's disease affects a wide range of people, and the collective efforts of these individuals and groups are essential in working toward a future without Parkinson's.

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Sharon Riff Ackerman

Sharon was born September 28, 1950 in Brooklyn, New York and had two children George & Andrew. She was a teacher for several years. She primarily dedicated her time to raising her sons.

Sharon loved her grandchildren and often brought them bubbles, coloring books and educational toys every week. She was a mentor to her daughter-in-law. She was most proud of her children’s accomplishments. Unfortunately, George's mother, Sharon, was also affected by Parkinson's disease and is no longer with us. Now, George is dedicating himself in every possible way to raise awareness about Parkinson's disease and to do everything he can to contribute in finding a cure for this disease, all in memory of his mother, Sharon Riff Ackerman. - 5 -

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George: "My biggest motivation is togetherforsharon.com. Unfortunately, my mother, Sharon Riff Ackerman, passed away on January 1, 2020, due to Parkinson's disease and dementia. My mother lived with Parkinson's for several decades, but it began affecting her daily activities in 2014. Until then, she could spend her favorite day of the week, Sunday, with us in the backyard, blowing bubbles with her grandchildren, enjoying the best meals we could find, but only after a lively debate about where and what she wanted to eat. I miss those funny discussions. I also create videos to raise awareness and share them for awareness. I have also participated in podcasts, interviews, articles, television, radio, blogs, and magazines to ensure that my mother's story is never forgotten."

"My family established togetherforsharon.com for Parkinson's awareness and hope for a cure. I wanted a place where people could find information because I couldn't when I desperately needed help."

To get even more attention, George came up with the idea of Selfie Bands. These are wristbands that he had made in January 2020 as a tribute to his mother and as a way to increase awareness of Parkinson's disease, while continuing to hope for a cure, in memory of his mother, Sharon Riff Ackerman.

They ordered and financed over 1,500 wristbands and sent them to people in the United States to raise awareness for this disease and keep the memory of his mother alive, support awareness, and inspire hope for a cure. People who want to support George by ordering the wristbands are asked to submit a selfie, which will be posted on togetherforsharon.com. George shares these selfies with over 5,000 people on social media.

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George and his family participate in fundraising activities and events for organizations such as the American Parkinson's Disease Association (Optimism Walk), Parkinson's Foundation (Moving Day), and Team Fox, the Michael J. Fox Foundation. All donations made to these organizations have a direct connection to the memory of my mother on togetherforsharon.com.

In just a few months, George has met many incredible people who are also experiencing the effects of this terrible disease and are caregivers. He has formed partnerships with organizations around the world and showcases them on social media and togetherforsharon.com to reach more people worldwide. His main goal is to continually raise awareness in memory of his mother. He is confident that raising awareness will one day lead to a cure. He needs everyone's help to share his mother's story with one person, wear the wristband, or simply follow togetherfo so contact him m.

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George is grateful for the opportunity to share his mother's story. He is just the son of an incredible woman who deserved better than what she went through, and if there had been a cure, she would still be with us today. She was too young to pass away and missed out on 15 years of her life struggling with Parkinson's disease. He misses her every second of every day. She was his best friend. - 9 -

Wendy van Wijk-Lugthart diagnosed with Parkinson's since she was 47 (2017). How wonderful it is to develop an online magazine with stories and articles for her fellow sufferers. Wendy puts the magazine together, interviews the people, writes the stories and turns it into a nicely designed magazine. This magazine is so valuable to many people.

It creates connection and the people like to read other people's stories. Other people may deal with it differently or coming up with some good ideas how to deal with it.

This magazine also mirrors the lifestyle for people with Parkinson's disease. How can you live well with Parkinson's and how can we motivate each other. Do the things that make you happy. It will give you more than fighting or kicking it.

What am I living for and what things can I still do that are so important to me and make my life even more worthwile.

COLOPHON

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ENJOYING LIFE WITH PARKINSON'S. is part of: Jowija Marketing & Events.

Disclaimer: 'Enjoying Life with Parkinson's' has been compiled with the utmost care. However, Jowija Marketing & Events is not liable for any direct or indirect damage that may arise from the use of the information provided herein. No rights can be derived or claims can be made in any way from the contents of this Enjoy Life WITH PARKINSON'S magazine.

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