Americas Largest Retirement Community

All we can say is “Wow”! Parkinson’s Across America is finally on the road and what better place to begin than The Villages, Florida, America’s largest retirement community.

Thanks to Rose Lang, the Communications Director of the Parkinson’s Support Groups in the Villages community, we were greeted by an enthusiastic crowd of almost 100 residents who are living with Parkinson’s disease and their care partners. After a presentation on Living Well With Parkinson’s, members of the Parkinson’s support groups shared incredibly personal and heartwarming stories about their own journeys with PD. We were truly inspired by each person’s willingness to share their story, but always with a view to finding hope and providing encouragement to others through their personal experience with Parkinson’s disease.

We also met Bernie Fitzgerald, the owner of SeniorHelpers of The Villages, Volusia County, Palm Coast and St. Augustine. SeniorHelpers is a national in-home senior care agency, with a particular focus on providing care to families whose lives have been touched by Parkinson’s disease. Bernie explained that “SeniorHelpers’ goal is to help their clients to age in their own home with grace and dignity.”

We are truly grateful to Rose and the members of the Parkinson’s support group in the Villages community and to Bernie Fitzgerald and his colleague Crissie who made our first day on the road such an incredible success.