Delilah Gillespie is 12. She has lived her entire life impacted by her dad’s Parkinson’s symptoms, even before her family knew what to call it. Her dad, Craig, was officially diagnosed in 2021 at the age of 50 but had been seeking a diagnosis for at least 5 years. Now aware of early symptoms like loss of sense of smell, constipation, unexplained fatigue, anxiety and depression, lack of motivation, and that these impacts of Parkinson’s can be traced back at least a decade, they hope to make others more aware of them too.
Delilah went to Canberra and over two days visited with 8 politicians, and again in SA visiting with another two senators. She shared her story about being a young carer and the need for an early diagnosis and early warning signs campaign for GPs and other allied health professionals… with the hope that no other families would have to navigate the unknown for so long. She was happy that her dad felt empowered by the diagnosis and has made lifestyle changes to manage his Parkinson’s, including exercising regularly and taking medications.
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