Who we are
We are people with Parkinson’s and care partners who meet monthly at the MaineHealth Medical Center in Biddeford, Maine. The purpose of our group, comprised of over fifty members, is to be a community that gain-shares our knowledge, challenges, and successes in living with Parkinson’s Disease.
We hold the common belief that Exercise is Medicine and Movement Matters to PWP.
Our website is our repository of information and resources specifically tailored to our group for its reference. However, by sharing our journey through this site, we hope to offer support to others navigating Parkinson’s and the loved ones who stand by them.
We express our sincere appreciation to MaineHealth for their generosity in providing our group with monthly access to their classrooms.
KEY PARKINSON’S DATES
1755 - Dr. James Parkinson is born on 11th April in London, England
1817 - Dr. Parkinson publishes An Essay on the Shaking Palsy, the first formal medical description of the condition, documenting symptoms such as tremors, postural instability, and slowness of movement
1870s to 1880s - French neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot expands on Parkinson's work and formally names the condition Parkinson's disease
1960s - Scientists discover that dopamine deficiency in the brain is central to the disease, marking a turning point in understanding its cause
1960s to 1980s - Development of levodopa therapy revolutionizes treatment, offering patients significantly improved symptom management
1997 - World Parkinson's Day is officially established on 11th April to honor Dr. James Parkinson's birthday and promote global awareness
2005 - The red tulip is adopted as the international symbol of Parkinson's awareness
2016 onwards - Growing research focus on early detection, genetic factors, and the role of alpha-synuclein protein in disease progression
Present - Parkinson's disease is recognized as the world's fastest-growing neurological disorder, affecting nearly 10 million people globally