Brothers Joe and Vince Kelly ended their nine day Really Big Walk to raise awareness of Parkinsons disease and more than $53,000 in funds for Parkinson’s Queensland at Coolum at noon last Sunday, on World Parkinson’s disease Day.
Greenslopes MP Joe Kelly said with their mother a Parkinson’s disease sufferer and their father having died from complications from Parkinson’s disease as well as fundraising having been difficult for Parkinson’s Queensland during the COVID year the brothers decided to embark on the Really Big Walk.
The plan was to walk from Joe’s electorate in Brisbane to their mother’s Coolum nursing home but the COVID-lockdown impacted those plans and they instead ended their walk at Stumer’s Creek, Coolum, contacting their mother by phone. The brothers’ five siblings each played a support role in the challenge.
“It was long,“ Joe said of the walk. “There were five days of rain and four days of absolutely beautiful weather.“
For Vince it was a way to begin retirement after a 35 year career in the police force.
Along their journey as they battled the physical challenge they were buoyed by the generosity of people who shared their own Parkinson experiences.
“Every day people had a story to tell about their loved one with Parkinsons,“ Joe said.
“An old bloke handed me $50 to support the cause,“ Vincent said. “We were overwhelmed by peoples’ generosity. It was a beautiful part of the country and we met so many people with Parkinsons along the way.
“We thought maybe we’d raise $5000 so this was just extraordinary.“
Parkinsons Queensland chair Professor George Mellick praised the efforts of the brothers, saying the disease that affected 18,000 Queenslanders and 100,000 Australians was under-recognised in the the general community.
Dr Mellick said people regarded Parkinsons as an old persons disease but 20 per cent of cases occurred in people under the age of 50.
“It affects people in lots of different ways,“ he said.
“It causes slowness and stiffness. People find it difficult to maintain balance. Depression and anxiety are part of the condition.“
Dr Mellick said with medication and treatment from allied health professionals people could maintain their quality of life.
He said people often hid their symptoms and delayed gaining medical attention but it was important to see a neurologist with expertise in the area, gain a diagnosis and receive effective treatment.
Dr Mellick said more education was needed in the community as well as among health professionals and aged care centres.
For more information or to donate to the cause visit parkinsonsqld.org.au
