Parkinson’s Australia secured valuable time with the Federal Health Minister, Hon Mark Butler MP, on Friday last week, giving the floor to Craig Gillespie who has young onset Parkinson’s to tell his story on behalf of the Australian Parkinson’s community.
In Craig’s words:
“I was very thankful today for the chance to tell my story to the Australian Federal Government Minister for Health, Mark Butler. Since my diagnosis I’ve taken every opportunity to raise awareness about the lesser known and early signs and symptoms. A Parkinson’s diagnosis is life shattering but by the time the most recognisable symptoms present, enormous damage has already been done. Better understanding of the early signs will lead to more timely treatment and early intervention. Fatigue, depression, anxiety and other lesser known symptoms take a toll on individuals, relationships and careers but proper treatment has given me back a quality of life that I have not had for years. This need not take so long.”
Parkinson’s Australia is committed to representing the Parkinson’s community at a federal level and providing channels of communication with the federal government plus overall nationwide awareness of common and lesser-known symptoms and the value in early intervention of this debilitating condition.
