Young Onset Parkinson's Disease Awareness Film

As a person with Young Onset Parkinson's disease, it aggravates me when people, especially those in the medical profession, makes comments that I am too young to have Parkinson's. "NO, I AM NOT," I want to shout, at the top of my lungs. I know most people think of Parkinson's as an elderly person's disease. Many think Michael J. Fox is a rarity or quite possibly the only one, but he isn't. There are hundreds of thousands of Young Onsets in the world, maybe millions, and yet, we remain hidden and ignored. The sketch below is how Parkinson's is depicted in Medical Journals...as an old man.

My goal for 2013 is to raise awareness of Young Onset Parkinson's disease, so I made a slide-show type film for the American Brain Foundation's 2013 Neuro Film Festival.  

I asked and received permission from 46 individuals to use their photographs and personal stories in my film. I was shocked by how long it took many of them to get diagnosed properly. I thought my eight year journey was unusual, but it seemed to be the norm. Many were told the exact same things: you drink too much caffeine, you are just under stress, you don't get enough sleep, you are too young to have Parkinson's or my favorite; it's all in your mind.

My film is simple: a slide show with narration, no fancy cinematography, no high tech graphics, no custom music, but I think it makes a good point. All those smiling faces are Young Onset Parkinson's patients. 

Please help me spread awareness about Young Onset Parkinson's disease by watching and sharing my film. 
To watch my film, use this link:  Not our Father's Parkinson's  or view it below.

Clicking on the colored words will open a new window and take you to a different story or link.