I am always grateful to be a doctor in the service of my patients. It’s an especially good feeling when I’m able to help someone successfully return to a new life. You may already have heard of one such case, Allison. She got her life back — and then some.
Several years ago, Allison discovered that she was beginning to have trouble doing day-to-day things like pouring a cup of coffee. Later she started to drag her leg and other symptoms appeared. For example, she could no longer use a computer. This was especially concerning to her because she had a young daughter, Emma. After seeing several doctors and discovering she had Parkinson’s disease, she was referred to me.
I’m glad to report to you that today, Allison is thriving. She is living a full, good life. In fact, by 2016, two years after first seeing me, she became a contestant on the television show American Ninja Warrior! Of course, I can’t take all the credit. Allison studiously followed our care plan, which included my advice to engage in physical activity and to fully embrace the possibility of improvement. I also encouraged her to speak about her experiences, which has offered a lot of hope to others with Parkinson’s.
At the Parkinson’s Disease Center and Movement Disorders Clinic, we see many patients like Allison. You, a family member or friend may even understand firsthand. One of the things that contributes to our success is that so many of you have been willing to make donations. Your funds go directly into research and education. This allows me and my team to investigate new therapies to treat patients and to train a new generation of care providers.
2019 Highlights
- This year was particularly productive at the PDCMDC as reflected in a growing number of peer-reviewed publications. Indeed, I was honored to have been recently selected among the top 0.01% of 7 million scientists from around the world based on my publications. This is a critically important validation of the impact my published articles have had on research related to Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders, which eventually translates into improved quality of life for our patients.
- I am also pleased to announce that our designations of Center of Excellence for the Parkinson’s Foundation and the Tourette Association of America have been renewed. This is another recognition of our continued success in research, patient care and education.
Sincerely,
Joseph Jankovic, M.D.
