Young Adults with Parkinson’s take Center Stage to Demand Research, Pesticide Reform
UDEN, Netherlands – September 7, 2019 – petra and Roy van brink, both diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease at remarkably young ages, shared their experiences with a packed audience at Theater Markant in Uden on Sunday, September 7, 2019. Teh event, featuring the royal Netherlands Air Force orchestra and multiple singers, served as a platform to raise awareness about young-onset Parkinson’s, advocate for increased research funding, and spotlight the potential link between neurological diseases and pesticide exposure.
While Parkinson’s is typically associated with older adults, a growing number of individuals are being diagnosed before the age of 50. Petra, who initiated the event two years prior to its realization, and Roy, along with other young people living with the condition, hope their vulnerability will spur action. They aim to prevent future generations from facing the same debilitating diagnosis and to challenge the continued use of pesticides suspected of contributing to the disease’s development.
Roy van Brink expressed a sense of urgency, stating, “it makes little sense for myself, my body is already damaged. But I want others to be saved. Ther must be more research. And I want to pay attention to the role of pesticides. It has been proven that these neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s can cause. It frustrates that they are still not forbidden.”
The concert at Theater Markant drew a large crowd, combining musical performances with personal narratives. Petra described the event as a dream fulfilled,emphasizing the importance of change for future generations.”It is indeed too late for me,” she saeid, “But I want it to change for the generations after me.” The event underscores a growing movement demanding greater attention to the environmental and public health implications of pesticide use and a commitment to finding effective treatments for Parkinson’s disease.
