Fall / Winter 2025 | Community 21
A Deep Sense of Purpose:
Why I’ m Part of the MJFF Community
By Allie Signorelli
I’ LL NEVER FORGET the moment I was diagnosed with Parkinson’ s disease. I was in my 40s, with a husband and two kids I adore. My first thought wasn’ t about me; it was about them. What does this mean for our future?
It was overwhelming, and for a while, I felt scared and lost. But then I found MJFF— and everything started to shift. I found a community and answers to questions I didn’ t even know I had.
Allie Signorelli was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson’ s disease at age 47. She is a fulltime volunteer patient advocate, using her time and resources to advocate for increased funding for research and care. She lives in Arlington, Virginia, with her husband, Mike, children Ava and Bobby, and a semi-famous( and very feisty) rescue dog named Bean.
Having a supportive community in the wake of a diagnosis like Parkinson’ s is so important. I have a place to find comfort and a sense of understanding about what I deal with every day, while my family can engage in various Foundation events. Whether we’ re advocating with the policy team, raising money with Team Fox or participating in a Run / Walk event, being able to do these things together has brought my family even closer. I am also proud to be a member of the MJFF Patient Council, as well as the emcee of Parkinson’ s IQ + You, which has helped me meet even more incredible people in this community and form lifelong friendships. My work with the Foundation has given me a deep sense of purpose that has carried me through many difficult days.
If there’ s a silver lining to being diagnosed with Parkinson’ s, it is the people I have gotten to meet. I consider myself lucky to be a small part of this organization and am so grateful for the work they are doing to end Parkinson’ s.