ParKanDo will hold its annual community expo on Saturday, August 17, at the Newport Community Hub.
ParKanDo is a grassroots peer support group run entirely by volunteers who have lived experiences with Parkinson’s disease.
The expo offers attendees an opportunity to build connections, share experiences and gain support from a community.
This free event, including a light lunch, aims to provide valuable information about Parkinson’s disease to affected individuals and the broader community.
Parkinson’s disease is the fastest-growing degenerative neurological condition worldwide.
The expo will feature the Florey Institute’s professor David Finkelstein, who will offer insights into ongoing scientific efforts to understand and treat the condition.
Other speakers include Fight Parkinson’s chief executive Emma Collin, speech therapist Caitlin Grima, exercise physiologist Kimberley Peden, family carer Janice Reardon, and Marty Rankin, who has young Parkinson’s onset.
Mr Rankin, who was diagnosed at 53, said there’s not a lot of support for younger people.
So Mr Rankin tries to help younger people with Parkinson’s symptoms in the community “to understand that it’s a progressive disease, but if you can manage it as early as possible, the outcomes are much better if you put your head in the sand and don’t do anything about it.”
The event will conclude with an interactive question and answer session, during which attendees will be able to interact directly with the panel of experts.
This session aims to address individual concerns and provide a deeper understanding of living with Parkinson’s and available support systems.
ParkAndo community expo will be held at the Newport Community Hub, 13 Mason Street, Newport, and online via Zoom.
The event is on Saturday, August 17, from 10.30am to 1pm.
Details: parkando.org.au/.
Anne Parisianne
