Connect with an Ambassador featured in the Every Victory Counts® manual

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In addition to advice and strategies from many of the world’s leading Parkinson’s experts, the newest edition of our Every Victory Counts manual features new stories and testimonials from dozens of people living with Parkinson’s. Here, we’ll highlight a few of the Davis Phinney Foundation Ambassadors who share their living-well advice in the manual, and how you can get in touch with them to learn more. Check back next month for another round of Ambassador stories from the Every Victory Counts collection!

Jerry Boster, Parkinson’s Research

“The day I was diagnosed with young onset Parkinson’s (YOPD)…remains a blur except for two things – the doctor saying very matter-of-factly, ‘You have Parkinson’s,” followed by, “I think you would be an ideal candidate for drug trial that is recruiting.’ With those statements, my future would become an intertwining of these two concepts, one representing the reality of today and the other a hope for the future in the form of a cure.” Read Jerry’s story about participating in Parkinson’s research studies here, and reach out to him here.

AMY MONTEMARANO, DIAGNOSIS TO ACCEPTANCE

“If we always fight our life situation and try to force it into the shape we want, we get frustrated, angry, anxious, and scared because we rely on a form of power that ultimately doesn’t work. That’s what the Mullica had taught me. When the current switched, and I struggled to be the person (and mom and kayaker) I wanted to be, I fell farther behind and suffered more. But when I let go and gave up any sense of control and ego, what filled that space was the kindness and love of both friends and strangers, and what was delivered to me were awe and gratitude and a bunch of delighted girls who had the time of their lives that day.” Read how Amy learned to “be like water” and adapt to life’s changes here, and reach out to her here.

BRETT MILLER, BOXING TO LIVE WELL

“There are numerous benefits from the high-intensity sport of boxing: improvements in eye tracking, peripheral awareness, hand-eye coordination, ability to change focus on many objects, reaction times, contrast sensitivity, dynamic visual acuity, depth perception, and hemispheric transference. Boxing to manage Parkinson’s has also been shown to improve range of motion, strength, functional mobility, and confidence, and it has been shown to decrease the risk of falling. On top of all these benefits, the camaraderie built with your fellow fighters and coaching staff is invaluable for people living with Parkinson’s.” Read more from Brett about boxing and Parkinson’s here, and reach out to him here.

CIDNEY DONAHOO, FRIENDSHIPS AND PARKINSON’S

I don’t know what I would do without my Parkinson’s friends. They have become some of my closest friends, even though many of them live in other parts of the country (and world). It’s like that old friend whom you haven’t spoken to in a very long time, and then you get together and it’s like time never passed; you’re laughing and joking like you’ve never been apart.” Read how Cidney made new friends and kept the old following her Parkinson’s diagnosis here, and reach out to her here.

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Thank you to our 2021 Peak Partners, Adamas, Amneal, Kyowa Kirin, and Sunovion, as well as our Every Victory Counts Gold Sponsor AbbVie Grants, Silver Sponsor Lundbeck, and Bronze Sponsors Supernus and Theravance for helping us provide the Every Victory Counts manual to our community for free.

in memoriam - Davis Phinney Foundation for Parkinson's

We are saddened to share that Jerry Boster passed away on Thursday, July 13, 2023

Though you are no longer with us, Jerry, you will never be forgotten. Thank you for being a friend and for the legacy you left to the Parkinson’s community.

If you’d like to learn more about Jerry’s work and help maintain his legacy, visit the Hawai’i Parkinson Association.

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