Eugene (KMTR) - A locally-produced documentary is shedding new light on Parkinson's disease. It’s also showing local families where they can turn for services and support.When someone has Parkinson's, it means their brain is not producing dopamine. Without dopamine, the brain doesn't send the right signals to the muscles, so they don't work properly.
Vicki Anderson, a certified health specialist, teaches a movement class at Courtsports Athletic Club in Eugene. The class is designed specifically for people with Parkinson's disease. She has learned a lot about the condition; her husband has had Parkinson’s for several years.
Vicki teaches her clients how to stretch and strengthen their muscles to help relieve the symptoms that come with the disease.
“The people who are more sedentary have more symptoms and don't do as well and tend to get depressed more,” Anderson says. “So the more you move and get up and go, even though you don't want to … people who move do better.”
A year and a half ago, Vicki began working on a documentary about Parkinson’s disease. Several people living with the disease helped her create it. It is a raw, emotional look at what it’s like to live with this often-misunderstood condition.
“And to me, that authenticity that comes with doing this documentary is the best thing we could have done to help our community know about Parkinson’s and also to know where there are some services for people with Parkinson’s, so if you have depression and anxiety and frustration where's a good place to start and go?”
Vicki Anderson’s documentary is called “Many Faces of Parkinson's: Magic and Miracles.” It will air in five parts beginning Sunday, February 26 at 4 p.m. on Comcast cable channel 29 in the Eugene–Springfield area. It will run for five consecutive Sundays. It will air again on Saturdays at 7 p.m., starting on March 3.
More information about Parkinson’s disease can be found by visiting www.parkinsonsresources.org.
