OUR MISSION
Unshaken Parkinson's Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing support and services for individuals affected by Parkinson's disease, and those with other neuro-degenerative diseases, such as Alzheimers and dementia. The foundation aims to create awareness, provides resources and information to bring patients together with help in their local community.
MESSAGE FROM OUR FOUNDER
My mother was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease at the age of 67 and fought the disease for 17 years. PD symptoms can vary for everyone and can often result in a mis-diagnosis. Most people are familiar with the physical impact of Parkinson's but not the mental toll and assocaited side-effects the disease can do to a patient and subsequently their family.
There's already a number of great charitable foundations focused on raising money and awareness towards a cure for PD. (We have links to several of these groups on our resources page.) As important as a cure is, that focus is on tomorrow. We set out to focus on how we can help those with Parkinson's TODAY. As we helped mom with her PD journey, we learned so much from various sources, discovered complications on the fly and we saw an opportunity to make support and the things needed to fight the disease more centralized and accessible.
Some of the services and resources we aim to provide are:
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Financial aid for medicine, equipment and care - there's not many pharmaceutical options to treat PD and they are costly. As the disease progresses and movement in restricted or troublesome, walkers, wheelchairs, handrails and adpative devices help. The likeliness to need personal care may come into play depending on your support structure.
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Specialized physical therapy classes and exercise mobility programs
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Support groups and personal therapy to help cope with depression and any physical/mental struggles
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Education and awareness​
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TODAY, we servce Ocean and Monmouth counties...tomorrow we aim to provide these services nationwide. With your help and support, we can do that.
About Our Name
Why the name Unshaken? Parkinson’s disease is known for its tremors...the visible shakes that often define the condition in the public eye. But while Parkinson’s may cause the body to tremble, it cannot shake our resolve.
Unshaken is more than a name. It’s a declaration. A promise that despite the physical challenges, we remain steady in our fight, strong in our support, and unshaken in our mission to improve lives and advance care.
We are a community that refuses to be defined by the disease and we stand together, Unshaken.
About Our Logo
Why a sailboat? Our sailboat logo, tilted slightly but still upright, represents the spirit behind Unshaken. Like Parkinson’s, sailing can throw you off balance , especially when the boat heels over in the wind.
My mother, who lived with Parkinson’s and loved to sail, never enjoyed that feeling of being tilted. But she always stayed steady, focused, and resilient ...much like the boat in our logo.
It’s a tribute to her strength and to everyone navigating Parkinson’s with courage. Even when life leans hard against us, we remain centered. We remain Unshaken.