By June Mathews
For The Tribune
TRUSSVILLE — When Jim McKee began experiencing tremors in his right hand, he suspected more than just an age-related malady. Sure enough, in November 2012, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system.
“Parkinson’s disease is a progressive condition, and it affects individuals in different ways,” said McKee. “One of the main areas I have to deal with is my gait and balance, and my symptoms have progressed to the extent that I have to use a walker to get around, and I had to give up driving due to my balance issues.”
In 2013, the 74-year-old Pinson resident was approved by the Veterans Administration for the Agent Orange Registry, which connected his illness to his military service from 1967 to 1969.
As time went on and the symptoms of his disease progressed, McKee connected with a support group of other individuals with Parkinson’s that met in northeast Jefferson County. One of their sessions featured Kendell Jno-Finn, a physical therapist who serves as a chief development officer for EW Motion Therapy. He opened the clinic’s Trussville location in 2010.
“EW believes a community should be better because our company is in it,” said Jno-Finn. “Our stated mission is ‘to promote health and vitality by empowering motion in our lifestyles and community,’ and being involved with groups like this is part of that mission.”
In his initial presentation to the group, Jno-Finn showed the participants exercises they could be doing to help them deal with mobility issues. McKee has been working with Jno-Finn using these exercises for the past couple of years.
“Several weeks ago, Kenny and I talked, and we both felt that we could better serve a larger group of people with Parkinson’s disease or other neurological disorders similar to it by moving the group to Trussville, as opposed to keeping it in the far-off northeastern section of the county,” said McKee.
So before long the relocated group, a small gathering of four, began meeting on Thursday mornings at the Trussville YMCA. Chief topics of concern are exercise, diet and medical information that can assist them in their
Parkinson’s journey and help delay the effects of the disease on balance, walking and other mobility issues. Webinars from the Michael J. Fox Foundation are used as a basis for learning and discussion.
“We have about six folks now, but we feel the group has the potential to grow rather large,” said McKee. “We feel it’s important to share our experiences with Parkinson’s disease and to help people find any resources they might need.”
The need for such support groups is clear: About 60,000 Americans are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease each year, with a half million or more affected at any given time. A new prevalence study by the Parkinson’s
The foundation estimates that by 2030, that number will rise to around 1.2 million. Worldwide, seven to ten million people are currently living with the disease.
“Our goal is to motivate, support and inspire people and their families fighting this disease,” said Jno-Finn. “It’s not just about the disease; it’s about the people, and it not only affects the person with the disease but everybody around them.”
With mobility being a chief concern, Jno-Finn’s expertise in movement allows him to make recommendations based on an individual’s preferences as to the modes of exercise they enjoy, where they are in the process of the disease, the timing of their medications and other factors.
“My gift is inspiring people through movement, and I need to share it as much as I can,” said Jno-Finn. “If you can’t move right, it affects your whole life.”
The Trussville-area Parkinson’s support group meets at the Trussville YMCA on the third Thursday of each month from noon to 1:30 p.m. For more information, contact Kendell Jno-Finn at (205) 613-6675 or Jim McKee at (205) 902-0092.