The
first time I ever had an encounter with individuals suffering from a
neurological disorder was during my senior year of high school. I had taken a
service trip to a very poor and run-down area in Camden, New Jersey, and I was
working at one of the nursing homes there. The patients I worked with had
several disorders. At the time, I was not familiar with neurological disorders.
Hindsight and college education, however, has allowed me find out what the
people in the clinic were suffering from.
One
very elderly man had a severe case of Alzheimer’s. He could not
remember anything that he or other people had said more than a few minutes ago,
and he was constantly repeating the same details of the same story about his
past. It was a truly heartbreaking sight to see him struggle so hard with his
memory.
Another
fairly younger woman experienced an incredible amount of difficulty with her
coordination. Whenever she attempted to move, her body shook quite hard. She
could not walk without help. Additionally, when she would try to do an activity
such as writing or drawing, her hand wobbled, thus ruining her intended work
and causing her to restart again and again. It turns out she was suffering from Parkinson's Disease.
Yet,
despite my initial horror and sadness from my experience in the clinic, I am
determined to learn more about neurological disorders. After all, the only way
we can truly help those experiencing these conditions is to research the
disorders and find solutions.
This video features a woman with Parkison's. It is an excellent case study.
Hi Andrew,
ReplyDeleteGreat post on your witnessing Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. It's tragic to see how Parkinson's can rob one of the motor skills needed for everyday life, or how Alzheimer's slowly corrodes the memories and personality built up over a lifetime. Decades of global health research are showing that neurodegenerative diseases are increasing in low- and middle-income countries too, so these are truly worldwide problems. While researchers try their best to find new treatments for Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, I think it's good to recognize the importance of caregiving as well. In volunteering at a neuroscience ward in Duke Hospital, I saw firsthand how a good support network could really perk up patients and give them the confidence to continue fighting their disease. I'm sure that you saw this as well, in your service trip.
See you in class!