Why am I doing this walk?

Living with Parkinson’s is like boxing an unbeatable opponent…in the end, he will win.

Parkinson’s – whether slowly or quickly – takes control of every inch of your body; it takes away every essential skill for life: smelling, swallowing, dressing, smiling, standing, running, swimming, climbing, playing, and finally moving, eating…even dreams are slowly taken away from you.

It is a 24/7 fight, no rest, no letdown. A constant fight where your opponent does not sleep, does not rest, and constantly plots with other illnesses to slowly take over your life, and the life of those who finally will tend to you in your final round.

For the past 7 years, I have been fighting this fight, refusing to yield, and looking for ways to stop this lopsided fight.

Exercising is a prime way to keep Parkinson’s in check. So, I play golf almost every day (walking with my bag on my shoulders). I climb mountains (I summited Kilimanjaro but fell short on Aconcagua). Now, I am walking the 778 km of EL CAMINO.

Why?

First, to give Parkinson’s a fight and to raise awareness among my fellow pilgrims about a merciless illness that cripples lives of those it afflicts and their caregivers.

Second, to raise funds to support research for a cure. Lately, there has been outstanding progress in the search for a way to eradicate or control Parkinson’s. The Michael J. Fox Foundation is deep in this fight financially supporting the search for a cure. Their motto is “MJFF: We’re here until Parkinson isn’t.”

On this front, I would like to ask my fellows pilgrims and whoever else I find in EL CAMINO to learn about MJFF’s work, consider making a contribution to the foundation, and share this conversation with others who may be interested in helping.

It is too late for me, but it will benefit many in the future.

Perhaps this is my last fundraising effort, as Parkinson’s will not stop trying to deliver a knockout blow. Perhaps I will be able to attempt to summit Aconcagua again, but every dollar/euro that I see going towards the search for a cure is like having a third arm with a closed fist, landing blows against an opponent, who, I am sure, will one day lose his malefic grip on so many.

Thank you for joining the fight.

God bless you and…BUEN CAMINO!!