Fall / Winter 2019 | Community 25
“The Danville d’Elegance Foundation has
generated incredible support for Parkinson’s
research and patient care over the last fifteen
years with over $1.3 million raised for Team
Fox. MJFF is grateful to be a key beneficiary of
this top Team Fox event in 2019.
Liz Diemer
Director, Team Fox
For Brian and others living with Parkinson’s,
“the impact of fundraising is felt when the
science you’re supporting has the potential to
change your life,” he says.
In April, Brian underwent deep brain
stimulation (DBS), the most commonly
performed surgical treatment for Parkinson’s.
The Food and Drug Administration has
now approved DBS devices from three
different manufacturers for Parkinson’s.
The differences in devices widen treatment
options for some people, like Brian.
In preparation for the surgery, Brian had to
slowly wean off his Parkinson’s medications.
“This proved much harder for me and my
family than I anticipated,” he says. When he
stopped taking his medications, he realized
just how effective they are at reducing
his symptoms and how much further his
Parkinson’s had progressed. “The potential
for DBS to change our lives brings us so
much hope. Hope is something we all take
for granted. With a disease like Parkinson’s
you worry about your future symptoms
rather than look forward to life,” he said.
Now months after the surgery, he’s still on
a low dose of a few medications, but he has
eliminated some of the drugs that caused his
worst side effects. This fall, Brian traveled to
Washington and Colorado to watch his son
pursue his goal of playing football in college.
He recognizes the significance of the support
of his family, friends and the Danville
d’Elegance community not only in the months
leading up to the surgery, but in the years
following his diagnosis. “When we look back, it
will just be a moment that could mean years of
quality of life,” he says of those difficult times.
Today, Brian is as committed as ever to the
mission of Danville d’Elegance. “I’m almost
back to my normal, and normal for me is great.
Now I want to help others regain their normal,
too.” And he reminds us of the important
work still ahead: “I have to explain to people
that I’m not cured. You might not be able to
see my physical symptoms anymore, but I still
have Parkinson’s.”