PROJECT OBJECTIVES

To identify the unmet needs of the YOPD community

To give the YOPD community a platform for their voices to be heard

To create and implement solutions to meet these needs

To raise awareness regarding these needs and their respective solutions so that organizations and community leaders are better equipped to cater to persons with YOPD

In our mission to educate, empower, and equip the Parkinson’s community, we are continually striving to identify unmet needs. To that end, we have partnered with local PD community leaders to create a research project focused specifically on persons with YOPD. 

According to the Parkinson’s Foundation, “Young Onset Parkinson’s disease (YOPD) occurs in people younger than 50 years of age. Most people with idiopathic, or typical, PD develop symptoms at 50 years of age or older.”   While people with PD share many common symptoms, it is well known that it does not affect everyone the same way, and this is especially true when factors such as age and life stage come into play.  

Those with YOPD often have children in the home, are still engaged in the workforce, and have greater depression – we want to quantify these and other issues and, eventually, work to ensure that we have effective interventions that may help.​

Check out our conversation with Dr. Maria De Leon, Movement Disorder Specialist living with YOPD for 15 years:

PROJECT DESCRIPTION