Walks are a great way to raise awareness and money for a cause, and they’re also good for exercising and spending some time with friends and family. Recently, the Southwest Florida branch of CurePSP held a walk at Mackle Park to support the progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) community. Over 200 people gathered on a beautiful, sunny Saturday to take a lap around the Mackle Park lake. Afterwards, they enjoyed a lunch of hamburgers and desserts.
The walk was a major success in two major aspects: awareness and fundraising. Firstly, the priority of these walks is to bring PSP to people’s attention. Not many people know about this severe disease, and therefore they can’t help any of those affected by it. Raising awareness not only gets people to advocate, but it also builds a community to support patients, their caregivers, and their loved ones. Additionally, it gives them some of the recognition they deserve.
Turning to fundraising, this was a major success as well. Over $250,000 was raised, and it will all go to worthy causes. For example, some of this money is being dedicated to research like that of Dr. Sally Temple of the Neural Stem Cell Institute in Albany, New York.
In the end, the walk was a huge success. Awareness, education, and funds all stand to help the PSP community. It also honored members of the community who have passed away due to their disease, such as Don Farmer. If you’d like to get involved, you absolutely can! Reach out to CurePSP’s Cindy MacDonald at 239-353-3960 or [email protected].
About PSP
PSP is a brain disorder that damages the nuclei, causing progressive issues with movement. It affects approximately three to six of every 100,000 people, although this number could be higher due to the number of people who are misdiagnosed with Parkinson’s. This is because the symptoms of the two conditions are similar. PSP effects include issues with balance and walking, falling, sleep disturbances, changes in personality and judgment, stiffness, issues with eye movement, slowed movement, alterations in mood and behavior, speech issues, eating and swallowing problems, and depression.
The exact cause of this disorder is unknown, but medical professionals do know that progressive damage to nerve cells in the brain stem is a part of it. In rare cases, PSP is inherited from parents due to a mutated MAPT gene. In order to obtain a diagnosis, doctors will look for the characteristic symptoms, perform a clinical evaluation, look at patient history, perform MRIs, and use PET scans. Treatment is symptomatic.
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