George Braun has a strong personal motivation to support the local Parkinson Canada SuperWalk.
The Winkler resident, who has been the top fundraiser in the Morden and Winkler area in recent years, not only has the disease himself but has also seen it afflict his father, his mother-in-law, and his wife Cathy.
“So we’ve been dealing with this disease for quite some time,” Braun said in advance of the SuperWalk taking place in Morden Sept. 7. “I have thought about who else in our family is going to get it. Is our kids or their kids, our grandkids? You never know … that has crossed our minds quite a bit.
“To me, it’s personal … it’s easy for me to say get involved because it’s a good cause … there are a lot of good causes out there, but when there’s a cause where you see some good support coming out of it and help coming out of it, it’s a worthwhile thing to do.”
Parkinson’s is an incurable brain disease that occurs when brain cells involved in mobility and coordination are dying. As a progressive disease, symptoms slowly worsen, and new ones develop over time.
While Parkinson’s is typically known for its movement-related symptoms like tremors and difficulty with mobility, non-movement symptoms such as anxiety and depression, sleep issues, cognitive problems, and sometimes even dementia can also occur.
In total, there are more than 35 Parkinson’s symptoms, and they can vary from one person to the next, making everyone’s experience with the disease unique. Not all symptoms of Parkinson’s are outwardly visible, and the severity of symptoms can change from day to day and even by the hour.
Currently, more than 100,000 Canadians live with Parkinson’s, and that number is expected to increase in the coming years with more than 12,000 people diagnosed with the disease every year in Canada
The Parkinson Canada SuperWalk has raised $44 million to date to directly support people living with Parkinson’s and their families, and the Morden-Winkler walk aims to raise $40,000 this year.
Braun has raised nearly $40,000 in pledges himself over the past couple years of walks.
“I have some very good supporters,” he said. “Over the last few years, we’ve raised a lot of money.”
Braun’s father was the first to be diagnosed with Parkinsons followed by his mother-in-law and then Cathy in 2012.
“At that point, we were both walking. Now [Cathy] isn’t walking without a walker,” he noted.
“I don’t really know if it’s hereditary or if it’s just a fluke thing that it hit us,” he continued. “Cathy actually diagnosed her mom and then talked to her doctor, and they confirmed that she had Parkinsons, and they sent her to a specialist in Winnipeg … then years later, guess where she got sent … to the same doctor.
“Her meds are regulated, and she hasn’t had any med changes now for a number of years. It seems to be working,” said Braun, who recalled his wife one time having a fall in the yard, but it was only seven weeks later they finally learned it was a fractured hip and a fractured pelvis, which eventually led to hip surgery.
“The biggest thing for me is that when I retired, I had plans of maybe doing some travelling … it ties you down at home more,” he said, noting he managed one trip after he retired with another couple, but “since then, we haven’t done many trips, so it’s a bit of a drawback, but things happen, and we don’t control it.
“It ties me down more. I do some golfing,” he added, noting he plays in the local senior men’s league. “I don’t want to be away for a long length of time … it’s a life change for you.”
He looks forward to supporting the local walk each year now also because it brings his family together for the occasion.
“I’ve been walking now for probably about 12 years … not always in Morden,” he said. “When the pandemic hit, they didn’t walk in Morden, so then I got a group of family members and extended family together in Winkler, and we walked our five kilometres here.”
Braun encouraged everyone to do whatever they can to support the fundraising walk and the work of Parkinson Canada.
“It has a lot of help for people who have Parkinsons … my hope would be that with research they might find more help for the next generation.”
The Sept. 7 walk sets out from the Morden Mennonite Church. Registration is at 10 a.m. followed by the walk at 11 a.m.
You can visit www.SuperWalk.ca to register as an individual or a team or make a donation directly to Parkinson Canada.
