My friend, Mehdi, will not be “dancing” with me any longer. As of this past week, he is no longer limited in his movements and will instead be dancing freely in heaven. Mehdi resided at one of the four assisted living facilities at which I lead chair Zumba classes. We met less than one year ago and since that time, he rarely missed a class. He shared with me, the very first time we met, that he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease.
Parkinson’s has been in the news, as of late, because three-time NFL MVP quarterback Brett Favre revealed at a congressional hearing that he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease at the beginning of the year.
Parkinson’s disease (PD) as defined by the Parkinson’s Foundation is “a neurodegenerative disorder that affects predominantly the dopamine-producing (“dopaminergic”) neurons in a specific area of the brain called substantia nigra.” It is a movement disorder that presents when the brain cells that produce dopamine fail to properly do so.
In honor of Mehdi, I will be offering a Zumbathon—a Zumba class from which all proceeds go to a cause—on the Saturday following Thanksgiving. Join me at Dance/10 Performing Arts Center, 900 Santa Clara Avenue, from 8 to 9 a.m. Proceeds will be donated to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. Fox has used his celebrity to make huge strides for research since his diagnosis of Parkinson’s. Save the date, Saturday, November 30, to come dance with me and help further the research toward finding a cure.
This past Saturday, I led the warm-up for the first of two Bay Area walks, “Walk and Roll to Cure ALS” with the ALS Network. As defined by the ALS Network, “Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as ‘Lou Gehrig’s Disease,’ is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord.” Learn more about ALS in my article, Let’s Kick Some ALS!
Many people today may not be familiar with the baseball great, Lou Gehrig, but they do know of the San Francisco 49ers wide receiver, Dwight Clark. You simply need to say “football” and “the catch” and Niners fans will break into smiles and tell stories of watching the 1981 NFC Championship game when Clark caught Joe Montana’s pass in the end zone for the 28-27 victory over the Dallas Cowboys. Clark lost his battle with ALS at the early age of 61. I remember thinking that his diagnosis and then his passing would help bring more attention to ALS like the Ice Bucket Challenge did.
Never knowing that they would share a similarity with one of their favorite players, my Uncle Charlie and my friend Andre both had passed many years before Clark was diagnosed. They both were diagnosed with ALS in the same year. They’ve both been gone for well over a decade, but I clearly remember each of their battles and how all of us who loved them were affected. So I continue to fundraise in the hopes that one day, no other families will have to. Please join me for the second East Bay Walk and Roll to Cure ALS on November 2 at Miller/Knox Regional Shoreline in Richmond, or donate online.
I met M when she came to my aqua aerobics class with her mom. They both have beautiful huge smiles, and I would feel energized, as I was melting (when you instruct, you are not in the water) poolside, when I would scan the pool, and my eyes would land on their joyful faces. They would join class a few other times, and then I didn’t see either of them again until last year’s SF Walk to End Alzheimer’s. I did the warm-up and was getting ready to walk when M came up and gave me the biggest hug.
Mom does not swim with M nowadays or do much of anything any longer. M does attend fitness classes with me, dancing away the stress, a healthy escape, for an hour.
Alzheimer’s is a type of dementia. The National Institute on Aging tells us that, “Dementia is the loss of cognitive functioning—thinking, remembering, and reasoning—to such an extent that it interferes with a person’s daily life and activities.”
You may not know M’s mom, but you likely are familiar with actor Bruce Willis. Willis has frontotemporal dementia. Here is an infographic from the National Institute on Aging to help understand the different types of dementia:
I would be honored to have you walk with M and I along the Embarcadero on Saturday, October 19, at the Walk to End Alzheimers. Join my walk team, or donate to the Alzheimer’s Association, which provides “care and support to all those facing Alzheimer’s and other dementia.”
Parkinson’s, ALS, and Alzheimer’s don’t discriminate. It is unfortunate that, while these afflictions exist, we will all know somehow who is affected by each. When a friend or family member, or even a celebrity, announces their diagnosis, our sadness is potent. Let’s turn that sadness into action.
Save a dance for me, Mehdi.
Contributing writer Denise Lum is a Health and Fitness Coach raising her family in Alameda. Contact her via [email protected] or FitnessByDsign.com. Her writing is collected at AlamedaPost.com/Denise-Lum.
