Bob seemed to do better with his Parkinson’s if he had something to look forward to – Jean & Bob Ferguson

We were enjoying a warm, sunny, fall day on September 8, 2009 when our phone rang. It was Bob’s doctor calling to give him the test results. His hands were shaking for months – the tremor was getting worse. The doctor told him he had Parkinson disease (PD) and advised to make an appointment so they could talk about the diagnosis and next steps. Bob didn’t know anything about Parkinson’s, so he wasn’t immediately concerned about the diagnosis. He was a young, active 74-year-old man who was quite healthy and strong.

At the appointment, the doctor shared information about PD, its symptoms and treatment. He prescribed the medication that would help Bob’s tremors and even daily exercises. It was the beginning of the next fifteen years with our journey living with Parkinson’s. 

Life seemed to continue on with the addition of the medication. That was until 2015 when Bob started to freeze and occasionally fall. This is when we got in contact with Parkinson Association of Alberta (PAA) after our doctor suggested they can provide further support and programs that Bob could benefit from.   

Our first encounter with PAA was with a Client Services Co-ordinator who made the meeting informative, positive and encouraging. She emphasized the importance of exercise which Bob did faithfully every morning for years. She encouraged us to attend the Support Groups held at our local Senior Centre. Bob went to the first meeting alone and came home happy and full of hope. He met a lady there who had Parkinson’s for years. She had a lot of good information to share.   

Going to the meetings was a life saver. The meetings can really help people find comfort knowing that they are not alone on their journey. At some point, every symptom that can affect people with Parkinson’s will get discussed in some manner. It could be insomnia, falling, hallucinations, driving, highs and lows, medication, neurologists, anxiety, constipation. To us, the group became a second family. One of the caregivers even brought a recipe for cookies that she vowed would move everyone. We have attended these monthly meetings since the beginning and highly recommend it for people with Parkinson’s and their caregivers. 

We searched for more services close to our home in St. Albert and found the CRIS Clinic (Community Rehabilitation Interdisciplinary Service). They helped him with mobility, swallowing, speech and writing. He also attended an exercise class called Foundations for Parkinson’s at Servus Place in St. Albert. He had to give up curling but was still able to golf a little. Because of his balance he could only tee off but he was even happy with that. He always loved the 19^th hole.  

Bob seemed to do better with his Parkinson’s if he had something to look forward to. He watched every Toronto Blue Jays game as well as the Edmonton Oilers. It was 2016 and he was doing quite well so we were confident that he could handle a plane ride. We flew to Toronto for a Blue Jays weekend and went to three baseball games. Our two daughters came with us to help with his care. Bob was elated. The Disabled Section had the best seats in the stadium! It was a time for him to forget about his Parkinson’s and just be a fan cheering on his favourite team. 

In 2018 our family decided to go on another trip. His favourite place to visit was Disneyland in California. We rented a wheelchair which was waiting for him at the hotel when we arrived. He was excited to be there again. When the eight of us walked through the gates at Disneyland, he had tears of joy in his eyes and said, “There’s a reason why they call this the happiest place on earth.” We had a wonderful time. He was the Fast Pass for the grandchildren, so he ended up going on 20 rides with them. He loved every minute of it. Once again, he forgot all about his Parkinson’s and was just another tourist enjoying Disneyland with his family. 

Every year at our Support Group meetings, we are invited to participate in the Parkinson Step ‘n Stride Walk. Our family thought it would be fun, so we got together with our friends and registered. Our first walk was in 2019. We wore matching t-shirts with FAPD (Ferguson’s Against Parkinson Disease) written on them. We all stood too close together during the warm-up, leading to bumping into each other and ending in lots of laughter.  It was a great way to start the day. We have walked seven years in a row.  

Bob would always lead us with someone from our group pushing him in his wheelchair. One year we were given a sheet of paper which had “I Am Walking For” written on it. Underneath was a blank line so people could write a name on it. On Bob’s sheet, he wrote in big letters that he was walking for “ME”. Our team has grown to 19 people now consisting of four families. Each family has a member that has/had Parkinson’s.  

Sadly, our leader passed away in 2024, and we miss him dearly. We know that the money we raise will help the Parkinson Association of Alberta provide support and services for people living with Parkinson’s and their families. They can help people to have a better quality of life. Parkinson Association of Alberta need our help so they can continue to provide excellent services. Help for today and hope for tomorrow.  

Jean Ferguson