Parkinson’s is the world’s fastest growing neurological condition, with symptoms progressing and changing over time. People like Peter rely on support made possible by good people like you—year after year.
After experiencing an abundance of symptoms—like walking with his arms pinned by his sides, sticking out his chin, and slurring his speech—Peter was diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinson’s.
He was just 50 years old.
Today, 38 more people will be diagnosed with Parkinson’s (including Young Onset) or Atypical Parkinson’s (including PSP, MSA, and CBS). They’ll need the same support that Peter received to navigate a very complex condition. So will the 38 who’ll be diagnosed tomorrow.
Peter’s first call to Fight Parkinson’s
When Peter first called the Fight Parkinson’s Health Information Line, his number one priority was protecting his speech.
“I was slurring my words,” Peter explained.
Behind Peter’s call for help lay a serious need—Peter needed to protect his speech for his career in sales.
When he called, the Fight Parkinson’s Health Team connected him with a specialised speech pathologist on the team who understood the unique mechanics of Parkinson’s.
Peter says that the expert knowledge of the Fight Parkinson’s Health Team is reassuring and saves him time and mental load.
“I don’t have to explain my diagnosis over and over,” he says. He knows that when he calls the Fight Parkinson’s Health Information Line, he’ll be talking to someone who really gets it.
More ways that Fight Parkinson’s support Peter
Today, Peter does monthly speech therapy to slow his voice down and maintain his clarity. He is still working, still selling, and still thriving.
“I want to work for as long as I can,” he said, aware that his condition could escalate at any time.
That’s why it was important for Peter to get NDIS support as quickly as possible. Because of you, Peter had expert guidance to navigate a complex 50-page application.
“The team told me ‘you’ve got to tell them this, explain that’. What it came down to was that I had been too positive—I needed to tell them about my worst day. Not my best day.”
With NDIS support in place, Peter started rigorous, targeted physiotherapy.
Today, thanks to Parkinson’s-focused physiotherapy and medication, Peter’s walking is almost entirely back to normal.
Peter also joined Young@Park, a Fight Parkinson’s Peer Support Group. He met people his own age who completely understood the unique grief of receiving what Peter thought was an “older person’s” diagnosis.
He met parents trying to manage toddlers while their hands shook. He met professionals trying to pay off mortgages while their cognitive skills slowed.
“That’s been the biggest game changer for me,” Peter says. “Meeting people in my situation, at my age group, with my same symptoms. I didn’t want to go on medication at first. But my peers said, ‘Mate, get on the meds. They work!’ Sharing that knowledge allows me to deal with it so much better.”
The Fight Parkinson’s Health Team
The team is staffed by highly skilled nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and speech pathologists.
It is Australia’s only free-call service providing people with Parkinson’s—as well as their carers, families, friends, and health care professionals—direct access to a multidisciplinary health team offering expert information and tailored support.
The Fight Parkinson’s Health Information Line runs Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm (AEST and except public holidays) and is partly funded by the State Government of Victoria.
Contact Fight Parkinson’s Health Information Line on 1800 931 031 or email [email protected]
A new Parkinson’s symptom arises
Peter hopes that the health information line will be there for him in the future as long as he needs it. As his symptoms develop. Whenever curveballs come his way.
Like recently, Peter discovered that heat could make his symptoms worse.
It was a warm summer night during the Australian Open. He and Melanie, his wife, had enjoyed a great dinner and were walking a friend back to his hotel. Suddenly, the joy of the evening disappeared.
“I just couldn’t walk,” Peter remembers. “My feet locked up. We’d walk 250 metres, and it would happen again. It took me half an hour just to walk two blocks home. I was incredibly worried.”
With one phone call, the Fight Parkinson’s Health Team explained that heat could affect his medications and advised Peter to speak to his neurologist as quickly as possible. Peter’s neurologist adjusted his medication on hot days.
And Peter was back in control again.
How you can help other people like Peter
Peter is determined to keep working, keep walking, and keep living life to the absolute fullest. He refuses to let Parkinson’s shrink his world.
But he knows he can only do that because Fight Parkinson’s is a partner in his fight—thanks to the kindness of good people like you.
As 30 June approaches, please help us reach our $166,000 target. Your donation is what keeps this vital support available to people when they need it.
You can help the next person like Peter live well with Parkinson’s. Because no one should face this diagnosis alone—and with your support, they won’t have to. Your gift will give someone the expert care, knowledge, and guidance they need to face Parkinson’s with confidence today, and in the years ahead.
Your support could mean the difference between simply surviving and living well. Please click here to ensure that every call for help is answered. Because no one should have to face Parkinson’s alone.
