Help Samuel raise money

In 2014 my Dad asked that we sit down and talk. “ We need to get this right hand checked out, these tremors are starting to concern me,” he said. It was a long road of patience before he received his diagnosis and knew what he was up against: Parkinson's Disease. Slowly but surely, the tremors worsened and started to shift  how my Dad and our family faced life moving forward. The toughest days are when he quietly reflects and expresses that, “ this disease is coming for me."  He never fully elaborates what he means or feels, but what I witness in the man that raised me is that he is in a courageous yet perpetual, quiet, internal battle with a disease that wants to shrink his world and his ability to operate confidently within it. Unfortunately, this is a common reality faced by the over 10 million individuals worldwide that are living with Parkinson’s Disease. 

Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative progressive movement disorder. It causes nerve cells in parts of the brain to weaken and become damaged.  As symptoms progress, people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) may have difficulty with tremors, balance, stability, memory, executive functioning, problem solving, walking, talking, or completing simple tasks.  AKA- it can be an all out, progressive assault on their quality of life. 

I’ve stood by my Dad and other loved ones affected by the disease as they experience some of the symptoms mentioned above, and I would do anything to alleviate the mental, physical, emotional and spiritual strain they must experience within this everyday fight. Outside of offering love and support to them directly, I wanted to commit to something bigger than myself to help others affected by the disease. How? By fighting back with the same attributes that Parkinson’s attacks. 

     Strength. Movement. Balance. Stability. Endurance . Mental Fortitude.

What better way to cultivate these attributes than a Run Against Parkinson’s. To do this I will be running in the Pittsburgh Marathon on May 3rd, 2026 to raise money and awareness for the Parkinson Foundation of Western Pennsylvania. Their entire mission is to provide  support, resources, and events  that help increase the quality of life for those living with Parkinson's in the Pittsburgh region, a region I will soon be calling home.  As of today, March 12th, I have been training seriously for over a month to build the strength, movement, balance, stability, endurance, and mental fortitude that will be called upon in order to cross the bridges, climb the hills and embrace the finish line for a cause far more reaching than 26.2 miles. 

I humbly ask for your love and support in this effort. Every mile, every day, every dollar counts. If you are unable to contribute financially, you can still make a difference by spreading awareness, sending good vibes and praying for the wind at my back.

With Love and Gratitude,

Sam

P.S. We are blessed that my Dad is experiencing more good days than bad recently, but only because we stick together and find joy in living in the now.