“It’s about outreach, not in-reach.” – Michael Okun, MD
Dear Friends,
Parkinson’s is growing. Today, 1 in every 272 people across the globe are living with Parkinson’s, and this doesn’t reflect the thousands of cases that go undetected. These numbers are expected to rise.
Our growing community deserves to be heard. Our community deserves resources, attention, and a voice at the policy decision-making table. This is why I had an aha moment when Dr. Okun shared, “It’s about outreach, not in-reach.”
At PMD Alliance, we’re committed to serving you, the amazing community that relies on our resources, shares your stories with us, and shows up to our programs and support groups. And we’re committed to opening our arms and our resources to include and uplift a broader community. By growing our community, we ensure people everywhere have access to the support they need. Everyone deserves to be looked after and included.
But the benefits of outreach extend beyond individual support: by growing our community, we grow our collective voice. We build a larger coalition to advocate for change, for resources, and for a cure. We are, indeed, better together.
In July, we launched the Parkinson and Movement Disorders Policy Panel, a collaboration of diverse stakeholders—people living with the disease, care partners, healthcare providers, advocacy organizations, and biopharmaceutical companies—to amplify our community’s voice and ensure equal, affordable access to treatments. Our entire Ecosystem© deserves to be represented at the table and we know that effective change takes everyone. The bigger our community, the louder our voice.
We’re also expanding access to care and broadening our reach by joining hands with our Hispanic community. Together, we’re building our Saber es Vivir (“To Know is To Live”) livestreaming, Spanish-language programs, connecting more families with the resources they need to thrive, in their culture and their language.
The voices of everyone impacted by a movement disorder belong here. United, our voice is stronger, our resilience deeper, and our hope greater.
In solidarity,
Andrea Merriam
Acting CEO, PMD Alliance
