The holiday season evokes feelings of gratitude and an appreciation for all of the blessings we are fortunate to have in our lives.
Today we would like to share with you a #ThankfulThursday story from Dr. Karen Jaffe, one of our InMotion founders who is also a client:
“I was diagnosed with PD twelve years ago. One would think that being a physician would have given me a leg up on figuring out what was going on with me, but the truth is, it didn’t. I was just as scared and shocked as the next person.
I quickly learned that Parkinson’s disease is misunderstood just enough to make it a challenge on many levels. The mischaracterization that it is just an old man’s disease, the shock that a PD diagnosis brings, not knowing anyone else with PD, the absence of coordinated services, all of this leads to worry, fear, social isolation, and stigma. Not only did I know what this felt like and, believe me, it wasn’t good, but I was hearing it from so many others.
Early on I joined a PD cycling study and knew that the key to physical and emotional wellness for me was to step up my game in regard to exercise. As a patient and a physician, I knew that for people to be ready to tackle what was ahead of them, resources needed to be available from the point of diagnosis. So with the help of other visionaries, we rolled up our sleeves and found success.
Meet InMotion. A place designed to strip away the stigma, decrease the social isolation and to provide hope for families living with Parkinson’s disease. We are a place that brings wellness to a group that now calls themselves a community, offering exercise classes that include our signature “Better Every Day” class, boxing, tai chi, yoga, spinning, dance…art and music therapy, drumming, support groups as well as medical and non-medical lecture series. And in case you haven’t heard….InMotion’s services and programs are free to the Parkinson’s community.
Each and every day that I am at InMotion I witness our staff helping people who are scared, just as I was so long ago, find the help and support they need to make the transition from a healthy state to one that now includes PD, doing so with mindfulness and understanding and with an appreciation that for every InMotion client, this diagnosis will change the way they look at the day at hand and at the rest of their lives. InMotion offers a hopeful scenario to those who walk through our doors: men and women who are living well, embracing an active lifestyle with a treatment plan to manage and live with their symptoms and who truly are today’s faces of Parkinson’s.
Because our services are free, InMotion relies on the generosity of many. So as you think of ways to make a difference in your own community during the upcoming holiday season, please know that contributions to InMotion will go a long way close to home.”
— Dr. Karen Jaffe
What is your story?
Do you have a story about InMotion that you would like to share? We would love to hear it! Jot it down on a note card, have another person record it for you, or stop by the office and speak with one of us. You are also welcome to email your story to [email protected].
Help keep InMotion in motion!
With your help, we can continue to touch the lives of those living with Parkinson’s disease. No gift is too big or too small as we continue our mission to help people with Parkinson’s feel better every day! Click here to make your donation online, or call Nancy at 216.342.4016 or email [email protected].
