Happy Birthday to Us!
In October 2015, a small group of people dedicated to improving the lives of people with Parkinson’s and other movement disorders identified critical needs that weren’t being met. They found gaps in learning opportunities and social connections. They wanted to embrace a new paradigm, changing “caring for patients” to “caring about people, ” and they wanted nothing less than to create experiences that transformed lives. And so . . . Parkinson and Movement Disorder Alliance (PMD Alliance) began.
Four years later, we pause to measure our impact and reflect on how far we’ve come. Since our inception, the PMD Alliance team has created and refined 16 unique program series for in-person and online audiences that have reached people in 43 states and 5 countries. Tens of thousands of people impacted by Parkinson’s or another movement disorder are learning, living lives more fully, and experiencing a supportive connection through PMD Alliance.
Along the way, we’ve learned:
Something happens when we replace “cure” with “care” in an incurable situation. People appreciate the honesty.
Something happens when we replace “losing” with “learning” in a situation where the specter of loss is ever-present. “Patients” become “people,” friends and neighbors on a shared journey.
Something happens when we fuse data with determination. Purpose emerges, and the isolating challenges of a movement disorder arouse a team effort that includes everyone involved.
Something happens when we focus on what we’re doing now, instead of what we can’t control. We innovate. Mental clouds clear, and we seize the opportunities that emerge. Every flash of innovation, every change in perspective becomes a connection we make that illuminates our passion, our work, and the promise that lies ahead.
As PMD Alliance celebrates our 4th birthday, we invite you to celebrate with us. We couldn’t do it without you! Thank you for your honesty, your companionship, your determination, and your focus. During the next four years, we will continue our work for each of you and the countless others looking to learn, live, and connect.
Cheers, Salud, Kampai, Prost! Join us as we raise our glasses to the past four years and enthusiastically toast the years ahead.
