Dear Sir,
As the nation marks Parkinson’s Awareness Week, I’d like to tell your readers about Parkinson’s, a disease which affects nearly 130,000 people in the UK. Parkinson’s is an incurable, progressive disease of the nervous system that inhibits the way the brain controls movements such as walking, talking and writing. It has affected such famous figures as Muhammad Ali, Johnny Cash, Michael J Fox and Billy Connolly.
People with Parkinson’s and other disabled people and carers often find it extremely costly and difficult to organise a break away from their daily routine because of their complex medical and care arrangements. As a result, a huge number of disabled people and their carers give up on the possibility of ever taking any respite, due to the enormous physical or financial barriers they face.
I work for Revitalise, a national charity providing respite holidays with care at three accessible centres around the UK. Each year we welcome thousands of disabled people and carers to enjoy much-needed breaks with us – breaks which often mean the difference between coping and despair. If your readers would like more information about Revitalise or would like to support our vital work, please call us on 0303 303 0145 or visit www.revitalise.org.uk.
Colin Brook, Revitalise