April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month and Abbotsford residents Betty Giesbrecht and Carolyn Krahn are committed to ensuring comfort is available for people with Parkinson’s. They are proud members of the Abbotsford Parkinson’s support group.
Giesbrecht, former secretary of the group, has been a member for 20 years. She has Parkinson’s and understands how important it is to feel supported with a disease that can be unforgiving.
“The Abbotsford group wants to make sure no one feels alone with Parkinson’s,” Giesbrecht says. “There is strength in being informed, and our members have so much to share.”
The group has 100 active members, including people with Parkinson’s and their caregivers.
The meetings are held the first Monday of each month at 2 p.m. at the Matsqui Recreation Centre and anyone affected by Parkinson’s is welcome to attend. The group has a wide range of members, from the recently diagnosed to those who have struggled for years.
Krahn, a member for two years, has taken over Giesbrecht’s role and is the current secretary of the group.
“I enjoy hearing the stories that others have to share, the encouragement to keep moving ahead and learning of new research,” she says.
“As people with Parkinson’s, we’re all looking forward to a cure in the future. At one of our recent meetings, we were encouraged to participate in some of the current research projects – an opportunity to help work towards that goal.”
For more information, call Carolyn at 604-853-3772 or Gary at 604-308-8691.