My name is Nadeem Hussain. Pictured here is my father, Jamil Hussain, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s at the age of 78. My mother was his primary caregiver and I was the secondary caregiver.
My father had a very successful career. He started off as a Marine Engineer with the Pakistani Navy and later became part of Merchant Navy and worked with various shipping companies in Britain, Greece and others around the world. During the 38 years of his Marine career, he travelled across the world, East to West and Antarctica to the South pole.
When he retired and moved to Canada in 1996, he still had a passion for sailing and loved to go out for the trips on his boat. He started experiencing Parkinson’s symptoms at the age of 78, however it went undiagnosed until the age of 80. He was formally diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2005. It was emotional and difficult to see a very healthy man start shaking, who could no longer hold a cup of tea and had difficulty eating with a spoon.
Parkinson’s medications combined with an exercise regimen was a miracle to improve his symptoms. He was a fighter and was able to manage his condition very well. He had a complete knee replacement surgery six months prior to his death and was able to come back on his feet within 3 weeks.
In 2008, my father passed away in his sleep at the age of 83 without any pain. Despite his age, he did not have any other chronic diseases (aside from Parkinson’s), such as diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure.
I volunteer for WPP in memory of my father and passion to help those who have Parkinson’s and are unable to access the care they require.
Please come together and help those with Parkinson’s!
Donate to the World Parkinson’s Program here.