Michael J. Fox Opens Today's Parkinson's Unity Walk!

Today's Parkinson's Unity Walk was opened by Michael J. Fox!

The 18th Annual Parkinson's Unity Walk (PUW) was held today Saturday, April 28, 2012 in New York City's Central Park. The PUW is the largest grassroots awareness and fundraising event for Parkinson's disease (PD) research in the United States. The event, which has grown from 200 participants in its inaugural year, is expected to unite more than 10,000 participants from across the globe.

"The annual Parkinson's Unity Walk is a powerful way for families, friends, caregivers, research organizations and major Parkinson's foundations to come together," said Martin Tuchman, Chairman of The Parkinson Alliance. "For any individual or family affected by Parkinson's disease who wants to feel the support, strength and compassion of a community – this Walk is where you should be." Currently, more than 1 million individuals in the U.S. are living with PD and 60,000 are newly diagnosed annually. 

Funding for research, for the cause and cure, as well as therapies that will improve the quality of life for those with PD, is critical. The PUW donates one hundred percent of all donations directly to research. As the "unity" in its name implies, the funds raised are distributed evenly among the seven leading Parkinson's foundations in the country: American Parkinson Disease Association, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, National Parkinson Foundation, Parkinson's Action Network, The Parkinson Alliance, Parkinson's Disease Foundation, and The Parkinson's Institute and Clinical Center.

"The National Parkinson Foundation (NPF) is proud to participate in and support the 2012 Parkinson's Unity Walk," said Joyce Oberdorf, NPF President and CEO. "This event truly unifies the whole Parkinson's community behind a common mission—supporting the best, cutting-edge research. It is like no other."

In addition to being able to walk with thousands of members of the Parkinson's community, participants are able to take full advantage of a myriad of available resources at the event, including information about clinical trials, educational material from leading Parkinson's organizations and information on how to become an advocate for the Parkinson's community. This day of community and education also provides individuals who might otherwise have limited access to experts in the field, a chance to speak directly with movement disorder specialists, neurosurgeons, physical therapists, occupational therapists and speech therapists.

Most importantly, whether PUW participants are individuals diagnosed with PD seeking encouragement, family and friends showing support, caregivers desiring to know more, or researchers working toward new therapies, the PUW serves as a source from which to draw strength and build a greater community of support.

"It is by motivating, collaborating, educating and raising awareness of Parkinson's disease that we take important steps toward our goal of improving the quality of life of Parkinson's patients while we continue to work toward a cure," said Tuchman.

Attendees are also invited to visit the Abbott booth on Margot Zobel Way to leave their photo and inspirational message on the Messages of Hope™ Wall. For each message, Abbott, a leading global health care and medical research company, will donate $15, up to $15,000, to the PUW in support of research. Additionally, Abbott will invite walk participants to receive ongoing information about treatment and research through an opt-in text message campaign. For each individual who registers, Abbott will contribute an additional $1, up to $10,000, to the PUW.

Video Source: Published on Apr 28, 2012 by Jessicafrank510

April Is Autism Awareness Month!

Autism is worldwide, this is one Mother's story from Australia.

This story tells how your life can change overnight when your child is diagnosed with Autism, told by Karen, a blogger from Australia, see her profile here KAZ  . To read more about Autism and for beautiful awareness graphics please visit her blog at AUTISM TAGS .

April is Autism Awareness month in America. I'm in Australia. We don't have the month long awareness but the 1st of April is World Autism Awareness day. I don't usually post much about my son but today i will share some info.

My son is 19 and was diagnosed with 'classic autism' when he was 2 and a half. He was developing normally up until around the age of two. 

He laughed, played, even said two word sentences and then suddenly he didn't speak, didn't laugh, played in a corner or behind our couch. He lost eye contact and started twisting his hands in front of his face and rocking (this is called stimming and many autistics have some form of it.) He didn't respond when you called him or spoke to him. At first they thought he was deaf, but i knew he wasn't. He did have ear problems and ended up having 3 sets of grommets, but this didn't change how he was. It just stopped his ear infections.

We ended up with Early Intervention for him. He had this for 3 years. The third year he was still hiding under the table when the therapist came. But hey... she just got under there with him. lol.

We used Macaton sign language with him until he was around 6. We had pictures of everything and signs of words on everything. My son, as many autistics, only learns visually. He gets lost on verbal prompts alone. He still does and you have to repeat things over and over sometimes.

He went to a normal school with an aide. He really didn't cope well in that situation, but because his IQ was 72 (70 and under here is an intellectual disability) he was not allowed to go to a special needs school... all because of a stupid 2 points! The first few years were ok, but he just got more and more behind because he just didn't understand what they wanted from him. Plus as the school years go on the teachers use more verbal prompts that visual. This was a huge problem for him. He ended up being very violent. I had so much trouble getting him to school. It ended up he had me in a headlock on the ground (he was bigger than me by then). Sometimes i couldn't breathe and was scared it was the end. He was refusing to go and i couldn't put up with this violence any longer. No one would help me from the school - even though i told them what was happening. So i decided to home school him. The best decision i have ever made! Though it's not for everyone.

I home schooled my son until he was nearly 15. The work was getting way beyond him by then. He was good at maths but only at a primary level. He had a huge problem with English as he responds to the here and now. He has no imagination. He never speaks about the past. But the good thing was that he was starting to smile, he was starting to speak in sentences. Factual, but at least he was speaking.

I had him retested at 15 and they found he does have an intellectual disability with the autism. He now has a Yorallah (a company that help disabled people cope with world) worker.He is very happy now. He is not violent at all... well not unless someone really upsets him. I know what to avoid and now have no problems. Well other than not leaving the house much. He has a phobia of the outdoors. If i'm in the back yard he won't come out. He will bang on the back door to get my attention before he would come out and get me. This is why i got into making graphics. My son is home 24/7 and I have to be here. At least making graphics takes my mind off the boredom of being home looking at the walls. Plus i fell from a window and hurt my back (i have severe nerve damage), so can't do much even if i wanted to, or had the freedom to.

But moving on... My son is now 19, as i said. He has a worker and he's happy. He is on a disability pension as he is far from being able to cope in the work force. He will live with us the rest of his life.. well our life. And i'm happy with that. He is a lovely young man now and i wouldn't change him for the world.

I have some April Awareness tags on my Autism Graphic site. Here is a sample. Just click this link to go to the page.  More Tags Here 

Have you ever wondered what the color yellow means?

Yellow is the color of the mind & intellect.

The color yellow relates to acquired knowledge. It is the color which resonates with the left or logic side of the brain stimulating our mental faculties and creating mental agility and perception. Being the lightest hue of the spectrum, the color psychology of yellow is uplifting and illuminating, offering hope, happiness, cheerfulness and fun.

In the meaning of colors, yellow inspires original thought and inquisitiveness.

Yellow is creative from a mental aspect, the color of new ideas, helping us to find new ways of doing things. It is the practical thinker, not the dreamer. Yellow is the best color to create enthusiasm for life and can awaken greater confidence and optimism.

The color yellow loves a challenge, particularly a mental challenge.

Within the meaning of colors, yellow is the great communicator and loves to talk. Yellow is the color of the networker and the journalist, all working and communicating on a mental level. Yellow is the scientist, constantly analyzing, looking at both sides before making a decision; methodical and decisive. Yellow is the entertainer, the comic, the clown.

Yellow helps with decision making as it relates to clarity of thought and ideas, although it can often be impulsive. Yellow helps us focus, study and recall information, useful during exam time. The color yellow can be anxiety producing as it is fast moving and can cause us to feel agitated. Yellow has a tendency to make you more mentally analytical and critical - this includes being self critical as well as critical of others.

Yellow is non-emotional, coming from the head rather than the heart. Yellow depends on itself, preferring to not get emotionally involved. Yellow is related to the ego and our sense of self worth, to how we feel about ourselves and how we are perceived by others. Yellow is the most highly visible of all colors which is why it is used for pedestrian crossings. Take note of the crossings which are marked in white - they are less easy to see than those marked yellow, particularly on wet and cloudy days.

If you are going through a lot of change in your life you may find you can't tolerate the color yellow very well  this will usually pass. It just means that you are having trouble coping with all the changes at the moment and yellow vibrates too fast for you, making you feel stressed. Introduce green or a soft orange into your life for a while to balance and restore your energies. Many older people don't respond well to large amounts of yellow because it vibrates too fast for them.

Positive Traits of the Color Yellow:

Positive keywords include: optimism, cheerfulness, enthusiasm, fun, good-humored, confidence, originality, creativity, challenging, academic and analytical, wisdom and logic.

Negative Traits of the Color Yellow:

Negative keywords include: being critical and judgmental, being overly analytical, being impatient and impulsive, being egotistical, pessimistic, an inferiority complex, spiteful, cowardly, deceitful, non-emotional and lacking compassion.

Yellow Represents: Mind and intellect: From a color psychology perspective, yellow stimulates our mental faculties; it activates the left or analytical brain. Happiness and fun: Yellow is uplifting to the spirits; yellow helps create enthusiasm for life and can awaken greater confidence and optimism.

Communication of New Ideas: Yellow is related to the expression and integration of new ideas and thoughts.

Creative: The color of new ideas, yellow helps us find new ways of doing things.

Quick decisions: Yellow helps with clear thinking and quick decision-making but it can also be impulsive.

Anxiety producing: Yellow is fast moving so too much time in its presence can agitate and lead to nervousness and emotional instability.

Critical: Yellow makes people more mentally analytical and self critical of both themselves and others.

Non-emotional: Yellow relates to the head not the heart.

To read more about the meaning, symbolism & properties of the color yellow see this link:

http://www.empower-yourself-with-color-psychology.com/color-yellow.html

Brooke's Blossoming Birthday Wish!

Blossoming Hope ~ Birthday Wish!

On April 27th, Brooke will be 5! After over a year of battling cancer, she has one wish for her birthday... to GIVE. Instead of asking for presents, Brooke wants her friends and family to give to her project, Brooke's Blossoms & Buddies, which is in the process of becoming a full fledged 501(c)3 nonprofit foundation with goals of empowering others, especially kids, to help find cures for all pediatric cancers. If you are unable to donate online, please send a birthday note to Brooke letting her know how you want to make her birthday wishes come true. Brooke's cancer has recenlty been discovered to be progressing so she is in and out of the hospital and care often right now, but her current address will be posted on her special page at:   http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/BrookeHester 

By: Jessica Moore Hester

Brooke is our special little girl so please help us spread the word so she can watch her birthday wish come true to keep sending smiles all over the world to children who so desperately need them! 

"Planting Seeds of FAITH, LOVE, and HOPE for CURES... One SMILE at a time!"

"Thank you for helping to make Brooke's Birthday wish come true!"

-Jessica Moore Hester

To make a donation to Brooke's Blossoming Birthday Wish, simply click on the link below
http://fundrazr.com/campaigns/4IBo7?psid=f467cfdf120f406b8a325b2b75329c81 

Donation amount reflects total at time of this publication.

$2,425 raised

$10,000 goal