The Tribune

By LAMECH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

THE HOPE to cure Parkinson’s Disease was re-emphasised yesterday at a speech competition featuring more than a dozen secondary school students hosted by the Kingdor National Parkinson Foundation at the Ministry of Education.

With trophies, laptops, android tablets and cellular phones on the line in the third annual competition, 16 students from various schools addressed a panel of judges and an audience of their peers and family on the topic: “This One’s for you...The Hope to Cure Parkinson’s Disease.”

While the speeches similarly identified the illness, it’s symptoms and need for a cure, the focus on the disease varied.

Ashley Neely, a student of Temple Christian School, highlighted the origins of the illness, which she said “was described by James Parkinson in 1817, in an article titled the Shaking Palsy.”

She added that the article “describes the effects and symptoms of this disease, however, there has been many discoveries of symptoms resembling those of PD.”

Neely also referred to theories developed over the years of how one develops PD where “scientists say that prolonged exposure to certain chemicals such as manganese, well water and pesticides can play an important part in developing PD.”

She also noted that genetics was a contributing factor in the illness’ development, as “15 of 25 people report having a relative with Parkinson’s disease.”

Erin McKenzie, a student at S C McPherson Junior High School, noted that the United States of America, based on studies done, had the highest prevalence of PD victims, but may be surpassed by Japan.

“The number of Bahamians who suffer from Parkinson’s Disease is unknown,” she told the judges and audience.

Mavis Darling-Hill, Chairperson of the Kingdor National Parkinson Foundation, talked of the organisation’s work for a cause, and why the speech competition, like many other initiatives, was important.

“This what you’re seeing here today is really a job that we love and take pride in doing because we feel that it’s necessary to sensitise and educate the Bahamian people regarding Parkinson’s disease,” she said.

“We got started in April 20, 2000 and this was a call to assist persons stricken with Parkinson’s Disease” going on to recall a period in 1986 when little was known about the illness.

“There was one booklet at that stage, a booklet by the National Parkinson Foundation. And in that booklet, it had information on every topic but just a little paragraph on Parkinsons.”

“Now available to us, throughout the world, they have booklets on any topic relevant to Parkinson’s Disease which is really fantastic because persons who want to know about the illness, it’s there.”

Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative disease of the brain that affects parts of the brain associated with normal movement and balance.

It is a prominent cause of disability in persons over the age of 50, although increasingly, PD is also being reported in persons under the age of 35, afflicting men and women in an almost equal ratio, according to recent studies.

A main symptom of Parkinson’s Disease is the beginning stage when individuals experience tremors or the shaking of the left and right side of the body.

The results of yesterday’s competition at the National Centre for Performing Arts, Shirley Street, were not available up to press time.