Art Program Connects Adults With Parkinson's To Local Youth

DEERFIELD, IL - From Parkinson's Sidekicks: Each year, approximately 50,000 Americans are diagnosed with Parkinson’s, a long-term and progressive brain disease associated with a loss of dopamine-producing nerve cells (neurons) deep inside the brain. Parkinson’s is most often associated with four physical symptoms: tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia (slowness of movement) and postural instability; however, people living with the disorder also may experience emotional and cognitive challenges, which can significantly affect their health-related quality of life.

To help ease some of these challenges, the Davis Phinney Foundation and Deerfield-based Lundbeck, in collaboration with leading Parkinson’s organizations, created Sidekicks, a new program that enables people with Parkinson’s to share their experiences while fostering positive and meaningful connections with youth.

“Sidekicks is such a special way to help make a difference by enabling people with Parkinson’s to feel connections to each other, youth and the broader community," said Sally Benjamin Young, vice president of public affairs at Lundbeck. "While the effects of Parkinson’s on movement are often the most visible symptoms, there is a common feeling of isolation among people with Parkinson’s. It is our hope that Sidekicks can help encourage positivity for people living with Parkinson's while creating greater understanding for youth of what it's like to live with this condition.”

Sidekicks brings together adults with Parkinson’s and school-aged youth for a four-week series of workshops where they share stories and engage in fun and creative activities. During these interactive sessions, the youth learn about Parkinson’s, and they all foster friendships through activities like handprint art, imaginative ideascapes, and rock art.

On November 3, participants and their families will gather for the Sidekicks Showcase Event and Celebration at Movement Revolution in Deerfield. They will commemorate the culmination of the Sidekicks program and display the art they have created together.

“I liked meeting new people in Sidekicks and learning about each other,” said Lindsey Apple, 13, of Deerfield. “I learned that people with Parkinson’s are really just like we are. They may show how they feel a little differently in their facial expression or do things a little more slowly, but otherwise they are just like us.”

Sidekicks is offered in several cities, and is presented by the Davis Phinney Foundation and Lundbeck, in collaboration with the American Parkinson Disease Association, Parkinson’s Foundation and The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.

Founded in 2004, the Davis Phinney Foundation provides essential information, practical tools and inspiration to people living with Parkinson’s and funds research closely aligned with their mission – improving the lives of people living with Parkinson’s. Last year alone, their work impacted over 225,000 people living with Parkinson’s in the US and around the world. For more information, visit www.davisphinneyfoundation.org.

Lundbeck is a global pharmaceutical company specialized in psychiatric and neurological disorders. For more than 70 years, we have been at the forefront of research within neuroscience. Its key areas of research focus are depression, schizophrenia, Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease.

To learn more, visit ParkinsonsSidekicks.com, and join the Parkinson’s Sidekicks Facebook community at http://www.facebook.com/ParkinsonsSidekicks

Photos courtesy of Parkinsons Sidekicks