The Truman Charities Podcast
Join Jamie Truman on a transformative journey as she connects to individuals making a difference in their communities. From New York Times bestselling authors to compassionate doctors and visionary farmers, our podcast unveils untold narratives shaping our communities. Whether it's a doctor revolutionizing healthcare or a farmer transforming food systems, our guests are trailblazers, influencers, and innovators driving positive change.
Truman Charities, a charitable organization with a mission, donates $250 toward their causes for every powerful story shared on the podcast.
The Truman Charities Podcast
What Exactly Is Parkinson's, Who Does It Affect And How Do We Treat This Disease? | Founder of Together For Sharon Dr. George Ackerman Ep. 134
A disease with no cure, unpredictable symptoms, and millions affected — let’s talk Parkinson’s disease. With more people than ever being diagnosed with this life-altering disease, awareness, advocacy and research are key to making a real difference in the fight against Parkinson’s.
Dr. George Ackerman, founder of Together For Sharon, shares his experience as a caretaker and grieving son turned passionate advocate for Parkinson's. This episode sheds light on the debilitating progression of the disease, its misunderstood symptoms, and the overwhelming challenges patients and families face when searching for help.
Hear how he’s amplifying the voices of those affected, what's next in his global advocacy journey, and how you can support the movement!
Connect with Together For Sharon:
Connect with Jamie at Truman Charities:
Facebook
Instagram
LinkedIn
Website
YouTube
Email: info@trumancharities.com
This episode was post produced by Podcast Boutique https://podcastboutique.com/
Welcome to the Truman Charities podcast. I am Jamie Truman, your host. My first awareness of Parkinson's disease came years ago. I don't know if you guys remember when Michael J Fox courageously came out with his diagnosis, but since then I've been noticing that a lot of people close to me have been affected by Parkinson's as well. For example, one of my really good girlfriends, her father, was diagnosed a few years back and then I'm sure that you just recently heard NFL legend Brett Favre came up as well with his Parkinson's diagnosis. So now it seems like it's been highlighting the growing prevalence of this condition. And Parkinson's actually was once thought that it just primarily affected older white men, and now it's being recognized as affecting individuals of all ages, races and genders.
Speaker 1:So what exactly is Parkinson's disease and what are its stages? And I didn't know this. But did you know that there are both internal and external tremors and that some individuals even experience delusions and hallucinations? So do we know what causes Parkinson's and how do we even treat this disease? To dive deeper into these questions, I spoke with Dr George Eckerman, founder of Together for Sharon. George's journey from a grieving son to a passionate advocate for individuals with Parkinson's has led him to interview over a thousand people worldwide, gaining invaluable insights from those affected from this disease. But before we begin this conversation, please take a moment to rate and review our podcast. As 100% volunteer-based organizations, your reviews help spread the word and enable us to reach more people. Leaving a review on your Apple app is the best way to support Truman Charities. Now let's get into this fascinating conversation with Dr George Ackerman. Hi, George, Thanks so much for coming on to talk with us today.
Speaker 2:Thank you for your time and the audience. It means the world to me and so many out there today to have this opportunity.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So I want to talk about Together for Sharon, and you created this organization in memory of your mom. But first I want to know for people that don't know about Parkinson's, let's talk a little bit about that. Exactly what is it?
Speaker 2:One of the fastest growing neurological disorders in the world about 1 million 1.2 million in the US and 10 million globally have it. It's a movement disorder. So unfortunately there's five stages. We believe we cannot tell the same stage for each person, which is why it's such a complicated. Quick answer this could take several hours, but from my experience again, I'm not a medical doctor, I'm a PhD and a lawyer and a police officer but obviously it's in different areas, not medical.
Speaker 2:But I went through the journey with my mother who had Parkinson's for 15 years and every journey so different. What happened with my mother towards the? She had it for 15 years. We didn't really know much or talk about. Until the seventh she started having a lot of stiffness in her left arm which made it tough to use, but she still lived independently. Unfortunately, the last four years when she went for a special trial because we ran out of ideas how to help her, that's when we saw the progression increase critically and we'll get to it later if we have time.
Speaker 2:But really some of the things. If you look at Mr Michael J Fox, the famous actor, he has external tremors, so it's uncontrollable movements, some like my. My mother had internal, so it was even, in a way, a little bit not more frustrating, but also as frustrating, because you might see what Mr Fox is going through, but if you don't see it, you don't really know that the person even has something going on. Also, a lot of people are misdiagnosed. But again, just to get to the question, it's a movement disorder. You might see external or internal tremors, so involuntary movement Also it's a movement disorder. You might see external or internal tremors, so involuntary movement Also. It's called bradykinesia or stiffness. So if I want to raise my hand, sometimes the brain doesn't allow it.
Speaker 2:And there's also so many other symptoms, from constipation to what the drugs do to the individual. My mother lost extreme amount of weight due to the individual. My mother lost extreme amount of weight Also. Individual son lose their ability to speak, to walk and really, after the disease progressed tremendously, you're not able to live independently anymore, and so it's kind of you. Take somebody like my mother, who was a strong, independent woman, lived alone, had a great career, three grandchildren and went from, you know, being able to live independently to having to take the car away, to not being able to really even live alone anymore, and it's something that I can't even explain. So that's why I wrote about it and it's, you know, debilitating and they say, don't die of Parkinson's and die with it. But obviously there are complications and my mother, I, didn't have any other medical issues but Parkinson's and we still to this day don't understand why it progressed so quickly and she passed at the young age of 69.
Speaker 1:Wow, so is Parkinson's. Is that hereditary, or are they not sure? They don't believe so, okay.
Speaker 2:I also have a show and we just focus on Parkinson's and so many of the people I've been guests have had in their families, but then there's others who haven't. That's really why there's no cure, because scientists and researchers are trying hard 24-7 and there's been, you know, trillions of dollars donated, but we still don't have a cure because everybody is so different and it's affecting each person so differently is so different and it's affecting each person so differently.
Speaker 1:Okay, so let's talk a little bit about sharing your mom and tell me a little bit about the beginning stages of Parkinson's for her.
Speaker 2:Yeah, she didn't. I don't know if she didn't tell us because she didn't want to burden the family, or maybe she just wasn't aware, because back then you know, 10 years, it's been five but when she struggled with 10, they didn't have as much research as they do today. Today we know sports and exercise can slow the progression. But again, everything's so complicated whether you take the right medicine at the right time, whether it's given to the person at the right time, whether that doctor gave the right medicine, whether they even stated it was Parkinson's. There's other illnesses called Parkinsoniums which are similar but not Parkinson's. So if you give the wrong medicine it's going to cause other issues. So she had it again for several years. I didn't even know it was a disease. I just heard of Parkinson's. I didn't even know it was Parkinson's. And then it wasn't that we didn't care, but it didn't affect her. She still lived. I mean, it did quietly, quietly and silently, but she still was able to drive her friends, go out shopping, eat dinner.
Speaker 2:Something happened towards the seventh year in the last few years I would say the last four. But she ended up going for a special unit to university for a trial and when she came home. I got a call beforehand to rush over to her home. She was moving her furniture out of her home and when I approached her I asked what's wrong. She said she thinks there's Nazis in her home and they're going to harm her. So I had to rush her to the hospital and they said we saved her life. But the last two years are something tough to again even describe. We didn't know, but some do get hallucinations and delusions from the medicines that are caused by Parkinson's. So I almost felt like a little nail and a hammer was hitting me in the head because every time we tried to learn about Parkinson's and some ways to cure it or just help support her, it was just another thing, and then another thing and it was just very, very difficult. And just so much to tell you and the viewers, since we don't have the time.
Speaker 1:You mentioned that there's a lot of different types of Parkinson's. Did your mother have a hard time finding the correct combination of medication?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean, in a way I don't think we ever did She'd still be here, because there are people who, you know, live till the late ages. Obviously, obviously, they might not be comfortable, but they still are living from 85 to 65. So that's again very complex and we don't understand really why one individual may pass younger I mean, I think 69 is still baby these days. I think that's why I do what I do is because I feel like she lost 15 years of her life alive and then another 15 years after, and I don't think it was fair and I also believe we should never allow any disease to ever take our loved one's memories. It might have taken our loved one, but it can never take the thing the better time. So big message today is really, if you have someone you're caring for, or even if you don't, give them a hug, and don't forget about the nonsense and the weird.
Speaker 2:Me and my mother used to argue like crazy on Sundays when the whole family would gather and we wanted to order food. Nobody could agree on what food it was, so back then we would have like loud fights with this hilarious amount. Today I laugh and think I wish I had that. You know. So it's uh, those are the things that kind of were funny then. But now I miss and you have to really enjoy every moment. But it's hard because everyone's working and life goes by. But just you know, that's why I really wasn't the best role model as an advocate today or a caregiver, because they say you have to take care of yourself first. But I never knew that Parkinson's would take my mother and I didn't know how long I had and I didn't want. She only felt comfortable, it seemed, when I was there. So I kind of sacrificed a lot of my health and even today the nights I don't sleep thinking about people today dialing Parkinson's because I felt alone. And my mother I couldn't believe. I realized this the other week In 15 years she never met somebody who had Parkinson's disease, so we didn't even know there were other people like her out there. And that's really what the point of what I do today and even coming on the show Whether you have Parkinson's or not.
Speaker 2:Unfortunately it's growing and there's more and more people. Now it's becoming more public because people like athlete Brett Favre just came out to say he is Parkinson's. Bernie Kosar has actually been a guest on my show. The legendary quarterback, ryan Reynolds, just discussed how his father had it and also fought with dementia, and a lot of people don't even know that or talk about it. His delusions and and hallucinations are very tragic thing to go through.
Speaker 2:So it's becoming, you know, kind of at the national attention and in a way I'm happy but also sad because I don't want more people to be diagnosed and we also have more females being diagnosed and young onset, which is younger people, so people from 20s, 30s and 40s, like michael j fox was diagnosed, I believe in his 30s, which is very young, and, as you can, michael J Fox was diagnosed I believe in his 30s, which is very young, and, as you can see, if you see him today, I had the honor to work with him and meet him, but he's not doing well. So it's hard because he's the advocate, my hero at the face of the movement, and it's just heartbreaking seeing a little bit of my mother in him each and every day.
Speaker 1:You were talking a little bit about when people are diagnosed. So are you saying that now they're seeing that more younger people are getting diagnosed with Parkinson's?
Speaker 2:Yeah, the one thing I've found and it's sad is that Parkinson's does not discriminate. Obviously we don't want it to, but anyone can get it, any race, gender, ethnicity, culture. Race, gender, ethnicity, culture, background and country. There's people. After two years after my mother passed, I fought and advocated in her memory and then I realized when I discovered 10 million people around the world have Parkinson's, I was kind of heartbroken and thought that this isn't just about me and my mother anymore. It has to be about everybody, because we have to be a family in the fight for a cure. Mother anymore has to be about everybody because we have to be a family in the fight for a cure.
Speaker 2:I actually interviewed 1 000 people around the world, from africa to asia, to england, france, spain, iceland even and the shock to find out that parkinson's exists there in nova scotia, all the way to florida. You know new york. So it's getting, unfortunately, more popular. More people are learning about it because even if they don't have it, their neighbor might have it, a relative or a very close friend, and seeing a loved one kind of really go from a healthy weight in life to almost no life at all, like lifeless, is shocking and tragic. But I feel if we had more awareness in the world we would have already found a cure, and that's again.
Speaker 2:I don't want people to ever feel alone because I didn't know what to do or who to speak to. That's sort of why I started TogetherForSharoncom. We're not a company on purpose, it's just me, just one son unfortunately lost their best friend and mother due to the disease, but I fight in her honor and even today, if we just reach one person, we might the disease, but I fight in her honor and even today, if we just reach one person, it might change their life. And now they learned about my mother. So she kind of lives on through everyone.
Speaker 1:Yes, let's talk a little bit about why you decided to write the book. You have the book A Son's Journey and tell me why you decided to write that and what you wanted the readers to get out of it.
Speaker 2:It's funny. I don't really want to write books on this subject. I've written in, obviously, my field police and criminal justice and law. I'm an attorney and police officer reserve now and I'm a professor. But I wrote that book because it was hard to talk about the last year of her life police, I'll fall apart and it's not easy. So last year of her life I kept a journal, I kept video and pictures. I never shared them with anyone and then I realized there's nothing. You know, I can't believe and I always tell everyone. I challenge them to write me if I'm wrong. But even today, a year or two later, since a year later, since the book's been out, there isn't one book in the whole world and it's a big world from a son who lost their mother due to Parkinson's. And I was like, wow, that's not. There's something either not right or that's the problem with advocacy. It's not enough. So that's why I decided to put my mother's life story and her journey with Parkinson's, and then mine as her caregiver and leading to today as an advocate.
Speaker 2:I've actually already published a few other books and have several coming. The most recent book which I'm excited the original hasn't come yet, but it's actually called Policing and Parkinson's Disease and the entire book is dedicated to. It's kind of a pro-police book, but not like a lot of things in the world with policing today. But it's really to show we need every field, but specifically my law enforcement, to just understand what Parkinson's disease is. Because if there's any encounter with someone, even getting a ticket, and that officer doesn't know what Parkinson's is or even trained, they won't understand that it's an involuntary movement. So if someone's told to put your hands up, they can't do that. If someone's told to do certain commands and not knowing it's going to end very bad.
Speaker 2:Some officers believe someone could be drunk or in a DUI while they're driving, but it's not. It's Parkinson's disease. So again, I it's hard to sell these because I'm picking a specific population and we don't want to sell them. We want the world to know about them and have them. My dream is right now most academies throughout the United States they talk, they have the word dementia and Alzheimer's, but Parkinson's disease does not exist and my dream would be to have them. Just add their Congress or each. You know it's not easy by myself, but just add the word Parkinson's disease and the the academy training and sworn training for officers, because I think that it would save lives.
Speaker 1:I didn't even think about that, that you're so right Like officers do need to understand this disease as well, and I did. I took your book and I looked through and you had some wonderful reviews on Amazon for your book that I think people should look at, and I sent it to one of my friends. Her dad has had Parkinson's for a while and I said I think this book would be really great for you because you're going to feel connected to somebody else that has been through the same process as you, so I think that book is really helpful. I want to talk a little bit about. You have these wristbands that you have on your site for people. Let's talk a little bit about those.
Speaker 2:Yes, when my mother passed, we didn't know what to do. It was kind of in shock and we just, you know, I don't know, we're at a funeral and I'm the kind of person who likes to remember people, and my mother of course, because I was still again in shock. So we just decided, my wife and I why not, you know? Put together these little bands. They just say TogetherForSharoncom and also it says in memory of my mother, sharon. And that's really what was important to me, just those few people in the room to remember.
Speaker 2:Well, I don't know what happened, but now he's my brother-in-law, but back then he was dating my sister-in-law and he just decided, for some reason he sent me a picture with the band on but his face wasn't in it. So I thought it was an interesting thing, like how come he? So it's just his arm in the band, which I thought was cool. And as a lawyer and please don't say I know people like their privacy Well, I decided why not take the band it everywhere I go, just to tell people you know that never forget about my mother's journey. Then we started doing it at disney and all but all of a sudden it went viral and celebrities were actually wearing it, and even willie geist, his wife. He was a famous broadcaster on nbc, willie geist and today's show, I think. But uh, anyway, he, his wife, somehow found it.
Speaker 1:She ran with it and talked about it, so it it was beautiful out there, and all the books, too, now are available on togetherfisheroncom, which is nice for people that would like to help and make a donation towards different organizations that are helping with people that have Parkinson's or research for Parkinson's. So tell me a little bit about how you chose who to partner with.
Speaker 2:We advise everyone to go find who they want. Someday we might end up turning Together for Children into a nonprofit. I'm on the walk committee in south florida for a few of those organizations. So once a year, like I'm driving to orlando in march for the michael j fox foundation, they have a community event called iq and you and it's just an informational thing I'll have a table. Everyone could come out. I love virtual, but being there with people with parkinson and caregivers, it's just life-changing. We'll laugh together, cry together and, you know, realize there is hope and it's just a beautiful moment. And the nice thing is they all created beautiful links. So if you donate to the organizations from our website, if you click donation, it'll go to those organizations. But in memory of my mother, it's nice that they have that technology, but we still donate a bit three, four thousand a year just in her memory.
Speaker 2:It's not easy to keep all this up. That's been the biggest problem with advocacy and, ironically, I'm writing a book on that. But there's a lot of dark sides to the world of advocacy and one is it's hard because I lost my mother so I don't't have Parkinson's. Currently I'm no longer a caregiver of someone alive with Parkinson's. But there's a third category, people like me who are still here. We don't want our loved one to be forgotten and that's been an interesting and not always easy concept because obviously we want to fight for the people battling Parkinson's today, but we also want to bring all the people like me who I think still have a voice and still matter, into the conversation.
Speaker 2:But a lot of the big organizations and a lot of people I see in the world don't really have a place at the table for me and people who've lost a loved one. A lot of times people move on, which is reasonable, but I don't think we all. If we had all these people like millions, like 20 million people who lost someone back into the organizations or even the whole division for people in memory, I think we would have been closer to a cure. But it's just not, for some reason, a priority and I find that fascinating.
Speaker 2:That's the stuff that makes me want to put more books out and even if I never saw one, you know, even the police book. It's not easy because it's just me, but I just hope one day there's not something sad in society that occurs with police and someone with Parkinson's and then you see it on the news. And then all of a sudden this guy, george, wrote a book and now it'll be worldwide famous. That's not what I want. I just wanted to warn people beforehand. So you know there's still a few things out there that I'm interested in. Eventually I probably will be forced to stop writing just because of the expenses, but it's definitely something I hope people find out there.
Speaker 1:When you decided to start your show, because I saw that. So if you go on together for Sharon, you do have a link there where you can listen to some of your episodes.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's becoming a full-time job, which, as you know, it's not supposed to be, but I always thought I'd do one show a month. It's become 80. And the only reason is a lot of people like it really inspire me and there's really not much like this. I mean, there's really not much like this. Again, I picked a very specific area. It only affects and I say only because it's not you know 2 million people plus 10 million is not a lot when you consider having people in the world, but if it affects you, a close one or a friend, then now your world has changed. It's not easy, so my show might not reach a lot, but it's out there.
Speaker 2:I've had the honor to have some celebrities lately. We a lot, but it's out there. I've had the honor to have some celebrities lately. We've had james brown daughter. We've had nfl football players. We had a retired professional hockey player. Just the other day, george mcfly came on the show, which was the back to the future, the father. So the gentleman jeffrey weisman, who played george mcfly, michael j fox father and Back to the Future 2 and 3. It's a lot of fun, but the real core of it is it's for people, parkinson's or all caregivers for anything and we're having 30 of the world-renowned scientists and researchers working on a cure just yet. And I'm scared because sometimes I don't. You know, these people have 12 bio degrees in medical and I'm like, but I was able to work with them. Fine, last Friday we had our first research and there are two professors, I think, university of Charlotte, unc, but they have specific technology they're working on to slow the progression of Parkinson's, and those are the shows that I think the world would love to see, because it's just fascinating.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I do find the science behind things like very fascinating, so I think those shows would be really great. And are there a podcast too? Right?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I love YouTube for some reason, because you see that you can. I'm putting them on other things. I'm now trying to get the Spotify and Apple going, but just me, so I just I seem to like.
Speaker 1:YouTube. So YouTube is the place to go, which is nice then, too, because they can watch it. So I do love that. So tell me something that you would want everyone to know about your mom, sharon.
Speaker 2:She was a loving, funny and caring person, but someone who was there for me 24, seven, do the good, bad and the positive and the ugly. And she, if you met her, she would say, don't do all this. Because she said, spend my time with my family. But she knows that she didn't raise me and I don't think I'd be the man I am today or have the success I've had if it wasn't for her. She was a school teacher, had a master's degree and literally gave it all up to raise me and my brother and you know she didn't. She sacrificed her life. So I try to do the same to remember her. I mean I'd rather have her back and not do any of this, but it's not in the cards. But now, every time I see somebody else battling and I become, you know, the best thing about advocacy is, although it was a dark side to it, there's a lot of positive. And the people like you I've met today in your audience and so many on my phone now that are literally like my brother and sister, but they're still battling Parkinson's and they have tough days and you know it's not always easy and it's still until I see people still feeling alone. I have to keep going.
Speaker 2:Only journey that breaks my heart today, the one that I'm not aware of, because there's people right now, as we're speaking, doing incredible things. The other month, a few months ago, some a group of four gentlemen rode around the world for parkinson's and raised like 50 million dollars and they came on my show and that was like the cool, like these guys are celebrities. To me it's just in the parkinson's world, but to me it changed my world. We have a show with them and just talking to them how they, you know, stayed on a little team. I can't even go on a regular boat for that. I guess he said that these people, like you know, rowling or one of them, had Parkinson's, the others were just supporting him. But to be able to break records for a cure and to fund research is really just incredible, and I don't think my life will be the same if I didn't keep this up, because I'm still grieving, even though five years now I miss my mother and she lives again through this advocacy. But I don't want anyone to feel alone.
Speaker 1:What would your advice be to someone who just found out that their mother or father has been diagnosed with Parkinson's, or a loved one?
Speaker 2:I would definitely say it's not easy, but there's people like me out there fighting for you. Reach out. It's not like we just ignored the world, but we didn't even know where to look. If you type in Parkinson's, you'll have 4 million things. Check out Together for Sharon. It's completely free. We don't want money, we just want people to know they're not alone. And there's so many resources I think it's kind of getting too much on there. We've started like several different shows, like probably it's not just one show. Now we have a show it's called the together for sharon podcast, which is my wife and I and she was a caregiver, so it's nice to have the female perspective and it's q a with sharon and george, which is the one that I have like 180 films already and that's the one where I interview one-on-one people around the world. I actually have the.
Speaker 2:Just recently last year actually the National Plan to End Parkinson's Disease was passed and that's the first US bill in history. I don't know how, it's only a year ago, but it's been signed into law to help support people with Parkinson's and their caregivers. I actually applied to be, or I've been nominated to be, on the national committee, which I won't know yet until February 15th it closes. But that would be like a dream to be able to be in Washington on the only committee in the world to help, you know, support this bill. But exciting news I never told anyone. I hate saying it because I jinx it, but in a week or two the literal congressman whose name was on the bill due to his brother's passing is coming on my show. So that's going to be like a real honor. We've had senators, united States Senator Rick Scott and other congressmen who sponsored the bill, but to have the individual who it's honored and named after is it's really. But again, I'm really excited for that.
Speaker 1:Wow, your show is amazing. You've had some really incredible people on and I did see and I listened to a few of them and I was kind of taken back by some of the stories. So I really encourage everyone to go to Together for Sharon. Take a look at the website, look at you know your show and listen, so you can learn so much. So you know how do you see the future of Together.
Speaker 2:Well, it's like everybody else says we hope there isn't one because we hope there's a cure and then that's it. But till then, I mean it's going to got to take a little break sometimes, you know, because you know it's tiring.
Speaker 2:I mean, I have a show scheduled to 2026 every single day, which isn't really every day every day, because there's a lot of people I really dreamt of having on and we're going to have the Department of Defense on because I want to talk about veterans with parkinson's. We are having, you know, a lot of individuals that you don't. I had a broadway singer the other day who has a organization called sing out loud, because people with parkinson's unfortunately lose their voice and through speech therapy it helps them, uh, also helps smile. Music therapy is huge. They have animal.
Speaker 2:So we had a gentleman runs an animal therapy company, just so fascinating to me and I never get tired of it while I'm sitting there, and some days, you know, I work 24-7 too, so that's kind of my little break. So I always joke and say you know, parkinson's doesn't take a break. Why should I? I mean these days everything's Zoom. There are people now can just join a class or a support group or, you know, sing on a special group from home on virtual, which is really a different world. But now we're bringing people around the world together for good.
Speaker 2:I know that's so great, so now you can interview people from different countries, like you said. So it is really incredible. I interviewed someone from Africa and it was beautiful, but it was kind of odd because the Zoom isn't the best, so his head froze and thing, but it was amazing to be able to connect with people. Unfortunately, in Africa they believe Parkinson's is witchcraft, so we need to get out the awareness that that's not true. But that's a big problem with advocacy and misconceptions. The old days it was the white man, elderly disease, but that's not true. It's young people, it's every race. Also, women issues are huge now because there's not enough for it. I portrayed like 70 or 80 females now with Parkinson's. We talked about things I never dreamt I would, from having a baby while you have Parkinson's to different women issues that I wouldn't know about. But they're very important to talk because there's women out there now being diagnosed and it's shocking. You know they feel alone and they don't even know where to turn to. So now they can go for free to the website podcast. It might take a while because it's a lot of them, but just you'll be able to see able to see females who have Parkinson's.
Speaker 2:We had one I try to have fun with it because it's a tough topic. But we had tough shows where we're all almost crying. I mean, one show a beautiful woman who I'm friends with, named Barbara decided to tell everyone on the show that she's wheelchair-bound, and that was something that isn't always easy to talk about. So the show brings happiness, happiness, laughter, but also covers tough topics. So we had an individual doctor who deals with medical marijuana. I try to tackle every topic. I don't. I have nothing to hide and I think if we don't touch on these tough topics then we'll never find any resolutions well, george, before I let you go, is there anything that we haven't covered that you think someone should know?
Speaker 2:No, I mean, the main thing is that you know, I want everyone to know they're not alone. I have a little statement I say, or message for everyone. I feel that, well, we send our love and support and we care a lot about you and you're never alone. I, along with your amazing host today, together we'll advocate, because I feel our voices are so much stronger together. And I always say I'm just getting started because, even though I've been doing it for five years, as I said earlier, there's just so many more people and journeys I want to discover and, um, we have a lot of work to do until the cure is here and until then I won't stop.
Speaker 2:And you know, the big thing now is really just getting the new book and I hate saying it, but it's very important to me and it's also a research book.
Speaker 2:It's not just a regular like my son's journey is more memoir. This is a research book, is over 200 references. I put my phd cap on and actually did a study with 12, I think, people who have Parkinson's and like 20 police, and actually interviewed them about their experiences and interactions with people with Parkinson's. And there's a lot of shocking things. One was that people with Parkinson's, many fear the police and we can't have that because they shouldn't, but that's because of lack of education. And then I did. I contacted one academy in every single state in the US and researched if they offer any training at all for swan officers with Parkinson's and the statistics and that is shocking, and I just think this is a book that should be on the news and things, not because I wrote it, just because it's so important, but honestly, getting it out there in the world is very, very, very difficult and the only way to is through everyone's help and support.
Speaker 1:Well, these podcasts are very helpful for spreading the word. We're gonna make sure that we have Together for Sharon in the show notes, along with your book titles as well, so it makes it very easy for everybody to pick up a copy and to get connected with you guys. So I wanna thank you so much for coming on again and I wanna thank everybody for tuning in to another episode of the Truman Charities Podcast. Wasn't that an interesting conversation with George? I personally didn't know that much about Parkinson's and really how prevalent it is now, and then also I didn't even think about the fact that something that police officers should really be aware of. So I think that George came with so much information and I feel like I know a lot more about Parkinson's and then how we can help support people that have been affected by it. Now, if you liked our podcast, please make sure again to rate and review our podcast. We are 100% volunteer-based organization, so this is the best way to support us. Go into your Apple app, scroll down, hit that five stars and just write a review about your favorite podcast episode that you like so far, and then also, while you're at it, click the subscribe button so you don't miss any future episodes.
Speaker 1:If you'd like to follow me and Truman Charities, you can follow Truman Charities on Facebook. At Truman Charities Instagram, jamie underscore Truman Charities. You can follow me on LinkedIn, jamie Truman. And then, to make sure that you don't miss any of our upcoming events in Bethesda's Best Happy Hours, go on to TrumanCharitiescom and then sign up for our newsletter. Of course, do not forget that I wrote a book Vanishing Fathers the Ripple Effect on Shemara's Generation. 100% of the proceeds from that book go directly to charities that help at-risk youths. You can pick that up on Amazon, barnes, noble, any online bookstore. So thanks again for tuning in to another episode of the Truman Charities Podcast. Until next time.
