In this blog posted to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research website, retired attorney Allison London, who also has dystonia, talks about the gifts that come with having a rare condition.
She walks the reader through her day, in which she helps and counsels others dealing with dystonia, as well as her own necessary treatment and health regimen. She carefully explains what dystonia is, and how it relates to Parkinson’s disease, as well as her role as a guest blogger for the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.
London then goes on to highlight her further involvement with Team Fox, and how she created Team Defeat Dystonia.
The groups primary goal is to bring awareness to dystonia through fundraising efforts by more than 100 members participating in the Westchester Super Sprint Triathlon at the end of September.
We hear the name triathlon a lot, but most people do not know what these events actually entail.
Here’s a quick snapshot of how grueling a standard sprint distance triathlon really is based on information from active.com:
1. Swimming – Participates will swim upwards of 400 to 500 yards
2. Cycling – A whopping 12 to 15 miles of sitting on a bike and pedaling
3. Running – Last but not least, a 3.1 mile run to put the icing on the cake
In addition to her commitment to help dystonia patients everywhere through her physical exertion, Allison also shares pieces of wisdom to anyone who needs encouragement living with a rare disease. London explains that while dystonia has brought her life many burdens that she must adapt to and live with each day, it has also brought her many gifts: the ability to help people in need, the relationships that she never would have formed without having the disease, and the chance to connect with people and families in both the dystonia and PD communities.
To read Allison’s full story from her point of view, visit her dystonia blog featured on the Michael J. Fox Foundation site.
Share Allison’s story to help raise awareness of this troubling disease and provide Allison’s team with support on their team’s page.
