Something Unexpected Happened…
A few years ago, I was doing everything I could to hide my Parkinson's.
I didn't want anyone to know. I hid the tremor. I avoided situations where someone might notice. I smiled through conversations while internally wondering if my hand was shaking or my face was doing something I couldn't feel.
I was terrified - not just of the disease, but of what people would think. Of what it would mean for my career. My relationships. My future.
And then something shifted.
I stopped hiding. I picked up a microphone. I started talking - not as someone who had all the answers, but as someone who was willing to be honest about what this journey actually looks like.
That decision changed everything.
What This Award Really Means
Being named the Most Inspiring Parkinson's Awareness Advocate 2026 is surreal. I'll be honest - it still doesn't quite feel real.
But here's the thing: this award isn't really about me.
It's about every person living with Parkinson's who has ever felt invisible. Who has sat in a doctor's office and felt like a number. Who has searched the internet at 2 a.m. looking for someone - anyone - who understands what they're going through.
It's about every care partner who has quietly carried weight no one sees.
It's about this community - the one we've built together - where people don't have to pretend they're fine when they're not.
This recognition belongs to all of you.
From Diagnosis to Doing Life Today
When I was diagnosed with Parkinson's at age 40, I did what most people do. I went home and started Googling.
I found tons of medical information - clinical descriptions, drug names, statistics. What I couldn't find was someone who sounded like me. Someone who could explain what it actually feels like to live with this disease. The confusion. The frustration. The dark humor you develop because sometimes the only other option is screaming into a pillow.
So I decided to create what I couldn't find.
With no podcast experience, no media background, and no idea what I was doing, I hit record on my first episode. I shared the fear. The uncertainty. And, yeah - the weird humor that shows up when life changes suddenly.
I expected maybe a handful of listeners.
Instead, people from around the world showed up. Thousands of them. From over 120 countries. People writing messages like, "I thought I was the only one who felt that way" and "Thank you for saying what I've been afraid to say."
That response became the foundation of Doing Life Today - a platform built around real conversations, practical tools, and a Parkinson's community where no one has to do this alone.
Why This Matters
People with Parkinson's don't need another pamphlet. They need to feel seen.
They need to know that what they're experiencing - the off days, the medication timing confusion, the grief that shows up out of nowhere - is normal. And they need tools that actually help, not just information that sits on a shelf.
That's why we built tools like the Daily Check-In - to help people understand their daily patterns instead of just reacting to symptoms.
That's why we built the Symptom Tracker - so people can walk into their neurologist's appointment with actual data, not guesses.
And that's why we built The Club - because community isn't a nice-to-have. It's survival gear.
Advocacy isn't just about visibility. It's about building something that actually makes a difference in someone's daily life. That's what Doing Life Today will always be about.
You Don't Have to Do This Alone
The Club is where people living with Parkinson's, care partners, and families come together - every single day. It's not a Facebook group. It's not a message board. It's a real community built by people who live it.
- Daily check-in to track how you're really feeling
- Symptom tracking that gives you patterns, not just data
- Real conversations with people who actually get it
- A global community across 120+ countries
Where to Start
Whether you were just diagnosed or have been living with Parkinson's for years, these are the best places to begin:
One More Thing…
If you're reading this and you're living with Parkinson's - or loving someone who is - I want you to know something:
You are not your diagnosis. You are not a collection of symptoms. You are a human being doing something incredibly brave every single day - showing up, even when it's hard.
That's what doing life today means. Not having it all figured out. Just showing up. Being honest. And knowing that somewhere out there, someone else is doing the exact same thing.
"Parkinson's picked the wrong person. I'm not going quietly. And neither are you."
