help Archives - Popcorn and Pandas

This post was written by my husband, Zack, in regard to his sister, Andrea, who is suffering from Parkinson’s. I have known Andrea for over 10 years now, and have seen how this disease has affected her life. The paragraphs below are an inside view on what it is like to live in her shoes. The good news is that there is a very good chance that her quality of life may be able to change drastically with your help…

In 2005, at the age of 34, Andrea noticed an involuntary tremor in her left pinky finger. At the time, it seemed relatively insignificant. As time progressed, her whole left side became extremely weak and her left foot stopped lifting when she walked. Her step seemed to get smaller. If she did not focus on lifting her left leg, she would trip. At the same time, her left shoulder kept falling out of its socket, rendering her arm useless. More symptoms followed, including fatigue and insomnia, muscle and joint pain. Then came the dreaded shakes.

After 4 years and many second opinions, she was finally referred to a movement disorder specialist, who diagnosed her with Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease. As the unforgiving disease progressed, it began to affect her whole being. Her thoughts were scattered and cloudy. It became hard to focus. Her voice seemed to get quieter and quieter. Her handwriting got smaller and smaller. She frequently lost her balance and falling down stairs became commonplace. Due to Hypokinesia, or “Stone Face”, her once prevalent smile had all but disappeared and she avoided people, fearful that someone would see her shake, twitch, trip, or fall. Someone once asked her “If you could have any superhero power, what would it be?” Her answer was invisibility.

Andrea first heard about Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) on TV. It’s a neurosurgical procedure, involving the implantation of a brain pacemaker, which sends electrical impulses to the brain for the treatment of movement and affective disorders. It was approved by the FDA in 2002 for Parkinson’s and has since been deemed a miracle surgery by its advocates. Initially, Andrea was skeptical and intimidated at the thought of implanting something foreign in her body. As her symptoms worsened, she came to realize that this may be her only hope for recovery. Her Doctor agreed.

With this surgery comes the promise of a new life. Her shaking and involuntary movements will likely cease, making it much easier to walk (and even run) again. Many patients also experience a reduction of muscle and joint pain. It will make it physically easier for Andrea to smile again, something most people take for granted. There are so many activities Andrea would love to do again – from a simple walk through the park with her husband and two daughters to an endless hike in the woods without worry that she will be unable to make it out alive. She used to love kayaking with the sun on her face. She dreams of regaining her confidence in social situations, no longer being afraid of embarrassment. In her own words, “I’m 43 years young and I’m tired of feeling 95. I’m excited to continue my journey in life. I hope to climb the highest mountain and scream as loud as I can that I won’t let this disease define me and take my soul. I want to be free again.”

Unfortunately, DBS is not an inexpensive surgery. It is quite costly, and Andrea is lucky to have her insurance cover all but $3000. Still, it is $3000 that she simply does not have. This is where you come in. We need your selfless donation to help Andrea get her life back. Please help us by contributing whatever you can afford. Andrea and her family will be eternally grateful.

-Zack Notes

We appreciate all of those who have helped Andrea to fund her surgery so far, and we are more than halfway there to reaching our goal. If you can find it in your heart to help, we would be extremely thankful! It would mean the world to Andrea.

Here is the link to make a donation.

Thanks and hope you are all enjoying your week!

XO,

Gina

This past weekend, Zack, Zigi, and about 40 University of Maryland Terp Alumni went out to Staten Island to help with Hurricane Sandy Relief. I have to say, the pictures do not do justice to the amount of devastation out there. Although I had seen photos and TV news reports of the destruction, it didn’t really hit home until I was walking around seeing it with my own eyes and talking to people who had lost everything. Houses were completely destroyed, houses and cars were moved from where they had originated, pavement was caved in around restaurants, windows were smashed, the streets were still partly flooded, and there was still no power restored to the area. Seeing lower Manhattan get cleaned up so quickly, most people probably think others areas have been cleaned up as well. Let me tell you, this is not the case. There is still so much to be done.

Saturday morning we loaded up our car full of supplies (thanks to $600 worth of donations from friends and family) and brought it to a drop off location where there were local police and volunteers ready to gladly accept. I noticed there was an overwhelming amount of clothing, and people had been so generous. But the real work was up ahead. We literally demolished the inside of a house that had been completely water logged. Luckily the foundation of this particular house was solid (I cannot say the same for the two next door – I am pretty sure those will need to be bulldozed). The owner of the house we worked on will be able to reconstruct, but the inside had filled with so much water that everything inside had to be thrown out (including the drywall and insulation). We spent the entire day hauling old heavy furniture and trash bags full of soggy wet drywall out to the street for trash pick up. We shoveled and shoveled, and it felt like we would never be finished. I felt horrible for this poor family. However, I did notice that they had friends there to help as well as volunteers. You could feel a sense of camaraderie and unity in the neighborhood of everyone being there to help each other get through this tough time, and that was nice to see. I don’t think I have done that much intense physical labor in a long time, but it was all worth it to have the homeowners’ faces shining bright afterwards knowing how much we were able to accomplish. The entire University of Maryland crew was able to clean out about 7 houses total that day. That being said, looking around the neighborhood, there was so much more work to be done, and this neighborhood was only a small part of the destruction caused by Hurricane Sandy. They need a lot more help and volunteers for all the rest of the groundwork that needs to be completed. It makes me extremely sad, and I hope to volunteer again this week and as long as they need help.