Two New Books Promote Parkinson’s Awareness

Though Michael J. Fox and Kay Mixson Jenkins are both advocates for a cure to Parkinson’s disease, it would seem as though they share little else in common. That is, until you read their books and learn about their lives.
Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist by Mr. Fox and Who Is Pee Dee? Explaining Parkinson’s Disease to a Child by Ms. Jenkins both explore life with PD and reveal authors trying to educate the public about life with a disease that struck both of them before the age of thirty-five,
“Being told I had PD at the age of thirty-four was a major shock,” says Ms. Jenkins, founder of the non-profit organization Parkinson’s in the Park. “It’s still a struggle, but I hope that Who Is Pee Dee? will help others through some of the tough times.”

An illustrated children’s book, Who Is Pee Dee? is the story of Colt, a young boy whose mother has Parkinson’s. Colt struggles to understand his mother’s behavior until his toy panda bear, Pee Dee, helps him learn about the disease. It’s a journey of understanding similar to the one Mr. Fox talks about in his book, a memoir that includes stories about fatherhood.

“I hope that both of our books advance the dialogue about PD,” says Ms. Jenkins, whose book was purchased for international distribution.

In Who Is Pee Dee?, Ms. Jenkins talks about some of the symptoms and struggles that Mr. Fox has made famous, including:
• The shock over the diagnosis.
• The shaking and exhaustion that make parenting difficult.
• The struggle to explain the illness to young children.
• The loss of normalcy.

“Michael J. Fox has done a lot to raise awareness,” says Ms. Jenkins. “I’m glad I can do my part as well.”

For more information, contact the author directly via kmj@ParkinsonsInThePark.org.

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