As the evening sun lay low over the horizon at Bandra seaside, hundreds of lights lit up in the hands of the elderly affected by Parkinson's disease. Over 200 of them had converged at the amphitheater on Carter Road, to bust myths about the lesser known disease, which affects people mostly after 60 years of age.
With sheer will power and enthusiasm, 74-year-old, a Mira Road resident Amrik Singh, has kept up with his many years long interest of playing the musical keyboard. On Friday, the crowd cheered him on as his fingers slithered over the musical instrument deftly, to produce perfect notes. "I was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 1999. My handwriting had started to change. My hands used to shiver while writing. But that has not deterred me from playing music. My interest goes back to childhood days, when I used to watch my father play the piano. I daily practice playing the harmonium and keyboard for two hours. My fingers do shiver at times due to anxiety but I manage to hit the right notes," Singh told dna.
What started in 2001 as a single support group centre in Borivli, went on to grow into a healthy cluster of 12 support groups in different parts of Mumbai alone by the Parkinson's disease and Movement Disorder Society (PDMDS). "We meet every Tuesday and first Saturday of the month, at the group to practise physiotherapy, speech and occupational therapy as well as yoga, dance and art. We bond like family," said Gajkumar Mehta (70), a member of PDMDS. PDMDS will start a new centre in Andheri in the coming month. Medical and counselling services at all centres are not charged for and provided voluntarily.
The evening saw enthusiastic performances of dance, music and song by the PDMDS members. While otherwise their speech would slur or their hands would shiver beyond control, when the Parkinson's afflicted persons swayed to the beats of dandiya or thumped their feet to carry out aerobic exercises, they appeared positive and confident.
Senior neurologist at Bombay Hospital and founder of PDMDS Dr BS Singhal, observed that 40% of Parkinson's patients have had a history of depression. "Depression and Parkinson's are very closely linked as both occur due to chemical imbalance in the brain. Apart from medication, patients of Parkinson's need support from the society and peers to see them through, which is the motive of our support groups," said Dr Singhal.
In India, up to 70 out of one lakh people are affected by Parkinson's disease
Visit www.parkinsonssocietyindia.com for more information
Symptoms:
Slower movements
Slurred speech
Shaking of lips, hands, arms and legs
Rigidity in limbs
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