Pancakes for Parkinson’s
Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine’s student chapter of the Student Osteopathic Medical Association hosted their annual Pancakes for Parkinson’s event Feb. 15 to raise money for the Thomas Hartman Center for Parkinson’s Research.
According to the LUCOM Director of Marketing Christopher Breedlove, participates paid $5 for all-you-can-eat pancakes. More than $450 was raised to benefit Parkinson’s disease research.
“Parkinson’s affects a large patient population, and for LUCOM-SOMA, this fundraiser is a unique and helpful way to support those who fight against the effects of this disease,” Breedlove said.
According to Sonu Santhosh, president of the Liberty LUCOM-SOMA chapter, about 80 people attended the event throughout course of the day. Santhosh said the chapter is dedicated in bringing awareness to all types of healthcare issues.
Santhosh said the event had such a great reception last year, that they decided to bring it back to support a cause the chapter felt strongly about.
“It was invigorating to see students, faculty and members of the local community come together to join us in this movement,” Santhosh said. “The heartfelt support just served to remind us about the (human) side of medicine.”
The Thomas Hartman Center for Parkinson’s Research began in 2012 as a way to create a legacy for Father Hartman, a co-host of television show “God Squad,” and his battle against Parkinson’s. The people who put it together approached Stony Brook University to help head the foundation, and in 2013, the foundation was finally born.
Since the foundation’s resources and facilities were planted at Stony Brook University, it has received numerous external grant applications, awards, journal publications and three annual symposiums.
According to Santhosh, there are many foundations that would be great to partner with such as the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research and the Parkinson’s Foundation. Santhosh said that LUCOM-SOMA decided to support the Thomas Hartman Center for Parkinson’s Research because the foundation is one of few facilities that develop potential treatments without the use of embryonic cells.
“One of the greatest things that we as a student body can do for Parkinson’s disease, as well as other chronic diseases, is to show our unyielding support,” Santhosh said. “There is strength in numbers — look at the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge as an example.”
According Santhosh, every person has a purpose whether they realize it or not. Santhosh’s advice to students was to never give up on their goals, just as LUCOM-SOMA keeps at their goal to fundraise for Parkinson’s.
LUCOM-SOMA plans on hosting projects to bring awareness to causes like Alzheimer’s disease and childhood obesity.
The community can continue to donate to the Thomas Hartman Center for Parkinson’s Research as well as other research foundations online.
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I have PD too…I am amazed those herb products worked for you. How long did it take and when did you stop Sinemet?…..I take many other prescription meds …How do I know if they interact with the herbs? Thank you.
Tom Gathman
The love of my life for the last 17 years was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease nearly 4 years ago, at age 52. He had a stooped posture, tremors, muscle stiffness, horrible driving skills, and slow movement. He was placed on Sinemet 50/200 at night for 7 months and then Sifrol and rotigotine were introduced which replaced the Sinemet but he had to stop due to side effects. He started having hallucinations, lost touch with reality. Suspecting it was the medications I took him off the Siferol (with the doctor’s knowledge) In March this year his primary physician suggested we started him on Natural Herbs Centre Naturalherbscentre. com Ayurveda Parkinson’s Protocol which eased his anxiety a bit, i’m happy to report this PD Ayurvedic treatment worked very effectively. His Parkinson’s is totally under control, he had a total decline in symptoms, the tremors, shaking, stiffness, slow movement and speech problems stopped. I can personally vouch for these remedy but you would probably need to decide what works best for you
I started Sinimet for my Parkinson’s disease but the disease became resistant. So i started on Ayurvedic treatment from Natural Herbs Centre (naturalherbscentre. com), I had a total decline in symptoms after the 6 months treatment. This treatment is a breakthrough