This year more than ever, the desire to be together was stronger than ever. Many associations joined forces to take part in the global 24-hour initiative.
Coordinated by Parkinson’s UK, with the dedicated work of Richard Underwood, David Peter Sangster and Alex Flynn, supported by the PD Avengers group led by Larry Gifford, and Parkinson’s Concierge with Russ Bradford and Charlotte Allen, the initiative truly expanded worldwide.
For years, the World Parkinson Congress has promoted dialogue and collaboration between associations worldwide—bringing together people with Parkinson’s, families, therapists, doctors, researchers, and all those involved with the condition in different capacities.
Especially in 2020, we became more practical in using digital tools to bridge geographical distances, allowing us to connect, share and communicate—even if, unfortunately, only virtually.
While waiting for calmer times for everyone, on April 11th, 2021, we gave our very best—driven by a deep desire to be together.
Across the world, we organized ourselves across time zones to create a true 24-hour global experience.
At Fuerte es la Vida Parkinson No Limits, we joined forces and resources with the Italian Association of Young Parkinson’s Patients (AIGP).
Francesca De Bartolomeis, psychomotricist and coordinator at Parkinson No Limits, and Massimiliano Iachini, Vice President of AIGP, gathered audio and video messages from members and friends met over the years at international conferences worldwide.
The response was overwhelming. It was not easy to summarize everything, and despite three hours of live Zoom and YouTube streaming starting at 12:00 PM (Spanish time), it was impossible to share all contributions.
On behalf of both associations, we sincerely thank everyone who sent their video and audio contributions.
The event brought together participants from Italy, the Canary Islands, Spain and the UK—and many more people around the world are still watching the videos shared during those days.
Special thanks to the Italian associations: Parkinson Sassari, Parkinson Valtellina, Parkinson Padova, ALP Parkinson Liguria, Parkinson Alghero, Parkinson Trento, Prendiamoci per Mano Parkinson Liguria, Parkinson eMotion and ParkinZone.
Thank you to all of you and your members for supporting Francesca and Massimiliano during the 3-hour live session; for sharing powerful emotions, humor, courage, encouragement, love, self-discovery, and the incredible strength people find when facing life’s challenges.
The value of what we created together simply cannot be summarized.
A special thanks also to some of the Parkinson No Limits consultants who shared their video messages.
Francesca De Bartolomeis, psychomotricist and daughter of a person with Parkinson’s, combines professional expertise with lived experience, bringing heart and passion to her work.
Ely Phenix, artist and art therapist, who guides us on a journey through emotions embraced by the ocean.
Simone Righi, symbolic tattoo artist and counselor, who helps people rediscover themselves and transform weaknesses into strength through ancestral tattoo rituals.
Pilar, adaptive surfer and instructor (Surf Therapy), who invites us to experience the flow of the waves and ride the powerful, dopamine-filled “UuaoOOO” of the ocean.ompaña para experimentar el fluir de las olas y tomar un surf en el dopaminérgico «UuaoOOO» de la ola !!
Images captured on World Parkinson’s Day
And a heartfelt “thank you” to our friends Elisabeth Ildal, Parkinson’s Advocate for the World Parkinson Congress 2019 and founder of the Cure4Parkinson association in Copenhagen, and Julio José, originally from Chile and now based in California, highly active within the Parkinson’s community both locally and internationally, and a collaborator in numerous dance initiatives alongside the PJ Parkinson’s Support Association (USA) and Massimiliano Iachini.
Ely inspired us with her positivity and enthusiasm, encouraging us to live in the present moment and celebrate daily achievements. Julio, with determination as strong as the Rock he admired, reminded us of the importance of staying connected—to build and nurture relationships with people living with Parkinson’s, because even if we come from different countries, we all speak the same language.
Special thanks to Fulvio Capitanio for his presence and wonderful support from Barcelona, the city that hosted the World Parkinson Congress 2022.
Thank you to Parkinson Italia Onlus for following us via YouTube live streaming.
Together with Massimiliano, we chose to dedicate a small tribute to Tom Isaac, in recognition of his powerful example, his commitment, and his extraordinary communication skills that inspired and mobilized so many people to come together in the fight against Parkinson’s and towards finding a cure. For this reason, we shared a video created some time ago by our friend Eros Bresolin in his honor.
The desire to face life’s challenges starting from within, by listening to and strengthening our health potential in synergy with nature and with our fellow travelers, united us in a powerful embrace born from the deepest part of each of our hearts.
We remind you that on YouTube, social media, and the websites of the various associations and global organizations involved in this initiative, you can find all the contributions that were shared.
In addition, our friends Charlotte and Russ, founders of Parkinson’s Concierge, hosted World Parkinson’s Week from April 11 to 18, featuring a wide range of audio and video contributions from Parkinson’s communities around the world.