#488 Firefighters with Parkinson’s: The Diagnosis No One Sees Coming

Today is about what happens when the job we love meets a diagnosis that can change everything.

I am joined by Dawn Harding, a retired Chief Fire Officer, alongside Steve Norman, former Deputy Assistant Commissioner with London Fire Brigade and now working with the National Fire Chiefs Council, and David Little, a former MOD firefighter and on call Watch Manager.

Together, they are part of the Firefighter Parkinson’s Support Group, a newly established group created to support firefighters, retired firefighters and their families who are affected by Parkinson’s.

Parkinson’s is a progressive neurological condition. It affects movement, balance, sleep, mood, confidence, family life, work, identity and so much more. It has no cure, and for many people the early signs are not always obvious. Stiffness, fatigue, frozen shoulder, sleep issues, gut problems or changes in movement can appear long before the symptoms people typically associate with Parkinson’s.

Useful links

Parkinson’s UK
https://www.parkinsons.org.uk/

Movers and Shakers
https://www.moversandshakerspodcast.com/

Spotlight YOPD
https://spotlightyopd.org/

Cure Parkinson’s
https://cureparkinsons.org.uk/

The Michael J Fox Foundation
https://www.michaeljfox.org/

The Neurological Alliance
https://www.neural.org.uk/

Guest contact - David Little
davidlittle2412@gmail.com

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