Ted’s Parkinson’s Disease. “April 11, World Parkinson’s Day”

Ted Flanagan’s Parkinson’s disease. No cause, No prevention and No cure.

Friends, friends of family and friends of friends please lend a helping hand and to also feel free to forward this on to others who might like to help. Let’s all show them the same love and support that they have shown to others in the past and in the best way we can, by donating a few dollars. We are asking you for your assistance in helping support Mum and Dad through this depressing and frustrating time. Please use this page to donate a few extra bucks (the price of a Big Mac or a coffee, or more if you can afford it.) Your donations will go a long way in helping them improve their situation. Your generosity and donation will help with modifications that are desperately needed in order to help Dad simply move around the house. Stable attachments would make the house a much safer and accessible to cater for his disabilities.

Dad was diagnosed in 2008 with this progressively degenerative neurological disorder; "Parkinson’s Disease". Dad is now in the Advanced Stages of Parkinson’s disease and simple everyday tasks: such as; balance, walking, writing, speaking and grooming are all becoming increasingly more and more difficult. Not being able to do normal everyday things have added to the stresses of trying to cope with this disease.

Last year Dads symptoms of poor balance, muscle stiffness, slowness, tremors in his arms and hands have got steadily worse. He became increasingly unsteady which resulted in dad taking two bad falls. He first shattered his right upper arm, which could not be operated on due to the length of time in surgery and given that dad has a low platelet count. His arm is not healing correctly. He then fell a second time fracturing the thigh bone of his right leg. This required surgery that that had to be done. The doctors had to take a chance that he would pull through. This involved placing a plate with screws into the bone. He also required a blood transfusion to increase his platelets prior to the operation. This ordeal resulted in spending eight weeks in hospital.

Since being diagnosed, Dad has lost so much weight that he is now a fragile 60kg, which is a massive drop from his healthy 90kg, as friends would remember. Mum and Dad are feeling the hardship at the hands of this terrible disease and are now finding it difficult to cope, emotionally, physically and financially. Both have had to retire; Dad because of this disease and Mum because of having to become his full time care giver. They are proud people who, over the years, have helped many others and are not the sort of people to ask for help, so we would like to ask for them.

Deep Brain Stimulation, (DBS) is his last and only hope of giving him a slightly better quality of life. It will not cure the disease but merely improve the symptoms by partly stilling the tremors and shakes.

To the helping hands that donate, THANK YOU. We are sure Mum and Dad will be surprised but extremely grateful.

All donations big and small will be gratefully appreciated.

On behalf of his loving daughters, Erin and Amy.