In March 2017, Lois Leslie and Paul Gully set out to cycle across three continents to raise funds and awareness for Parkinson’s disease, in honour of their dear friend, Marg de Grace. This trip was intended to complete a circumnavigation of the globe by bicycle, begun...
Inspirational Stories
Full Throttle’s Jim Smerdon discusses YOPD & Motorcycles
May 8, 2018 | Inspirational Stories
You might recognize Jim Smerdon from Parkinson Society BC’s (PSBC) 2016 Awareness Campaign, This is Parkinson’s disease. If you have been to Parkinson SuperWalk in Vancouver, you might remember his family’s team, Show me the Smerdons, which was consistently...
Angela Wensley talks about her experiences with Parkinson’s disease
Apr 18, 2018 | Inspirational Stories
The following is a brief interview with a community member with Parkinson's disease named Angela Wensley (pictured above). She agreed to participate as part of Parkinson Society BC's awareness efforts in 2018. 1. You track your Parkinson’s disease (PD) symptom...
Larry Gifford hopes sharing his Parkinson’s story will help start public conversations, raise awareness
Mar 11, 2018 | Inspirational Stories
Larry Gifford is the Senior Programming Director at Corus Entertainment in Vancouver and host of The Radio Stuff podcast. He is 46 years old, with an 8 year old son and a wife of 19 years. In August of last year, he was diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinson's...
Small tattoo shop with a big heart supports BC’s Parkinson’s community
Nov 15, 2017 | Inspirational Stories
Forever Inked Tattoos in Surrey is a little shop that wants to make a big difference. Two of the artists, Jason Hopes and Jolene Harrison, are uncle and niece. They work alongside a third artist, Zack Orchard, and a friendly, proactive receptionist named Nikkita. They...
Son of a PwP combines business savvy with desire to help Parkinson’s community
Oct 25, 2017 | Inspirational Stories
Michael Cheung (pictured, right) was about ten years old when his father was diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinson's disease (YOPD). At such a young age, Michael struggled with the thought of having a parent with an incurable disease, and often saw it as being unfair....
A caregiver’s journey with Jolyon Hallows
Sep 26, 2017 | Inspirational Stories
Jolyon Hallows (pictured on the left) provided care for his wife Sandra (pictured on the right) for the twenty years she lived with Parkinson's disease (PD). Jolyon describes his wife as "loving, kind, generous and inquisitive. She was also stubborn, interfering,...
Father-daughter dynamic duo unite to bring hope to PD community
Sep 9, 2017 | Inspirational Stories
When they were first approached about being photographed and interviewed on camera about their Parkinson's journey, Roy Amador and his daughter Richel didn't hesitate. Depsite the fact that they are first time walkers, they've already enlisted most of their family and...
Garry Toop receives new lease on life with Deep Brain Stimulation
Sep 9, 2017 | Inspirational Stories
Garry Toop is a Kelowna resident and family man who was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2005 at the age of 55. He is also one of several British Columbians who have had Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) surgery. Deep Brain Stimulation is a surgical procedure where a...