Skip to content
ParkinsonsJournal

Parkinson Heroes

In our Parkinson Heroes section, people with Parkinson’s share their stories. In candid, personal interviews, they offer insight into life with the disease — from the first signs to the often long road to diagnosis, the fears that come with it, and the sources of hope that help them move forward.

George Ackerman sitzt in hellem Pullover auf einer gefliesten TreppeParkinson Heroes
Authorised interview

George Ackerman: No One Should Face Parkinson’s Alone

George Ackerman lost his mother Sharon to Parkinson's in 2020. A memorial website became TogetherForSharon®, with around 450 episodes. A conversation about caregiving, grief and remembrance.

Parkinson editorial team·8 min read
Molly Cupka mit Basecap lächelt einem Teilnehmer in der Kletterhalle zuParkinson Heroes

Molly Cupka: You Can Probably Do More Than You Think

Molly Cupka was a competitive swimmer before she found climbing. Today she gets people with Parkinson's onto the wall for free — in more than 80 gyms. A conversation about courage, rope and harness.

10 min read
André Tal, TV-Reporter aus Brasilien, im Interview vor dunklem HintergrundParkinson Heroes

André Tal: Parkinson’s Is Not the Protagonist of My Life

Brazilian TV reporter André Tal was diagnosed with Parkinson's one week after his 40th birthday. He hid it for years — until he broke his silence on national television. A conversation about listening, hard training and the decision not to be a victim.

8 min read
Parkinson Heroes

David Leventhal: There Is Dancing at All Levels

David Leventhal on Dance for PD, Parkinson’s and the power of artistic movement

14 min read
Tobias Naumann: Pflege ist Beziehung – und Beziehung ist WirkungParkinson Heroes

Tobias Naumann: Nursing Is Relationship — and Relationship Is Impact

Tobias Naumann explains how home visits, case management, telemedicine, and advanced practice nursing can make Parkinson’s care more personal and connected.

15 min read
Prof. Susanne Schneider: Gene verändern den Blick auf ParkinsonParkinson Heroes

Prof. Susanne Schneider: Genetics Is Changing the Way We See Parkinson’s

Prof. Susanne Schneider explores how genetics, precision medicine, advanced practice nurses, and telemedicine could make Parkinson’s care more personal.

11 min read
Parkinson Heroes

Carina Lummer: Why Parkinson’s Care Needs Better Networks

Carina Lummer explains how regional Parkinson’s networks connect doctors, therapists, nurses and patient advocates — and relieve patients in everyday life.

8 min read
Parkinson Heroes

Dr. Arnout Bruggeman: The Gut Microbiome’s Role in Parkinson’s

Dr. Arnout Bruggeman explains how the gut, the microbiome and Parkinson’s are connected — and which new treatment approaches research is currently investigating.

14 min read
Parkinson Heroes

Dr. Patricia Krause: How DBS Can Help in Parkinson’s

Deep brain stimulation can ease tremor, dyskinesia, and other movement symptoms in well-selected people with Parkinson’s. Neurologist Dr. Patricia Krause discusses DBS, brain pacemakers, risks, adaptive stimulation, and treatment that works in daily life.

13 min read
Dr. Tabea Thies: Warum Sprechen bei Parkinson wichtig istParkinson Heroes

Dr. Tabea Thies: Why Speech and Voice Changes in Parkinson’s Deserve More Attention

Speech and voice changes in Parkinson’s can be subtle, early, and easy to overlook. Dr. Tabea Thies, a phonetician and postdoctoral researcher at University Hospital Cologne in Germany, studies speech biomarkers and explores how voice, articulation, and AI could improve Parkinson’s research and care.

11 min read
Parkinson Heroes

John M. Dean: Parkinson’s Speech Therapy for Real Life

Speech-language pathologist John M. Dean explains how speech therapy strengthens voice and communication in Parkinson’s — with online training, apps, and everyday exercises.

12 min read
Parkinson Heroes

Josefa Domingos: New Physical Therapy Approaches for Parkinson’s

From trampoline training and dance to boxing, aquatic therapy, and dual-task exercises, physical therapist Josefa Domingos shows how creative Parkinson’s physical therapy can build confidence, support motivation, and bring movement into daily life.

14 min read
Martha Strubinger: Angehörige brauchen eine eigene StimmeParkinson Heroes

Martha Strubinger: Parkinson’s Care Partners Need a Voice

As the wife of a man with Parkinson’s, Martha Strubinger knows how deeply the disease can affect loved ones. The author and Parkinsonpaten volunteer discusses caregiver strain, support groups, writing, honest conversations, and why care partners need space to speak openly.

14 min read
Melanie Giebel: Man muss Experte für sich selbst werdenParkinson Heroes

Melanie Giebel: You Have to Become Your Own Expert

Diagnosed with Parkinson’s at 38, Melanie Giebel found her own way after years of uncertainty and difficult medication side effects. She discusses movement, support groups, her radio show “Dopamine,” and the importance of becoming your own expert.

14 min read
Monika Morgenthaler: Wenn beide Partner Parkinson habenParkinson Heroes

Monika Morgenthaler: When Both Partners Have Parkinson’s

Monika Morgenthaler talks about Parkinson’s as a couple, her late diagnosis, caring for her husband, self-help, Ping-Pong Parkinson’s and a new joy in life.

10 min read
Parkinson Heroes

Prof. Carsten Eggers: How a Therapy Dog Motivates People with Parkinson’s

Motivation, movement, and self-efficacy are at the heart of animal-assisted therapy for Parkinson’s. Prof. Carsten Eggers, neurologist and chief physician at Knappschaftskrankenhaus Bottrop in Germany, explains how therapy dogs can activate patients and support non-drug treatment approaches.

11 min read
Parkinson Heroes

Silvia Lerch: Building Support for Young-Onset Parkinson’s

Silvia Lerch shares how she built peer support for young people with Parkinson’s, supports others, and stays active in everyday life despite freezing.

11 min read
Basics

Parkinson Heroes — explained simply.

Encouragement — together

The “Parkinson Heroes” are people who deal openly with their condition and give others a sense of direction. Their stories show that a diagnosis is not an end point, but often the start of a more conscious life.

Frequently asked questions
How do I find a support group?

Regional support groups are arranged by, among others, the German Parkinson Association (dPV) and local self-help contact centres.