Verity at Parkinson's Europe has a request for help with an article. If you can help send myself or Martin and we'll forward what we've got together.
Hello Nigel and Martin,
I'm currently working on a feature for Parkinson's Europe website over the next few weeks and wondered if you and your members might be interested in helping me with it?
It's about the portrayal of people with Parkinson's in fictional films/TV series/ books and whether you think Parkinson's has been portrayed accurately, and what you liked/disliked about how Parkinson's is shown in the film/TV/book. I am looking for honest opinions, so the bad as well as the good. They would only need to be a few sentences long about a program/film you happen to have watched or a book you happen to have read.
Please let me know if you would like me to send you more information.
Many thanks and best wishes,
Verity Willcocks
Parkinson's Europe
The only portayal I can remember is The Suspect, where the psychologist character had recently been diagnosed with Young Onset PD. I was pleasantly surprised. In the first place it was good to actually see a character with PD on the TV - I honestly cannot remember seeing one before, it’s like we don’t exist!
Secondly the portrayal was very real with plenty of mention of symptoms other than tremor, and the impact of stress on the condition. I think I read later that Parkinson's UK had assisted with the characterisation which would have helped a lot. I think it will have helped non-PD people to understand more about the life we lead