My PD Story

The first time I noticed Parkinson’s disease (PD) was when my grandfather was visiting us and we were walking outside. He suddenly hesitated and stopped in his tracks — almost like his feet were stuck to the ground and he couldn’t lift them. I would later learn this was freezing of gait: a classic Parkinson’s symptom. 

The next time he visited, his facial expressions had become rigid and his speech was difficult to understand. At that time, for me, Parkinson’s was a background conversation because I felt like it was something the adults around me understood better than I did.

Over the next decade, his symptoms gradually increased, affecting his balance and ability to walk unassisted. He began speech therapy to strengthen his vocal muscles and started using a walker to balance his gait. Watching his progression motivated me to understand the different aspects of Parkinson’s disease. 

I started reading about Parkinson’s and how the lack of biomarkers prolongs the disease diagnosis and delays receiving the correct treatment. I began to explore how technology could help better track and detect early changes in motor skills. 

My first project was building a gait analyzer using pressure sensors attached to shoe soles and a machine learning model to distinguish pressure patterns as typical or atypical gait. The project was recognized at a regional science fair, which encouraged me to keep going. 

I continued to refine this work by designing a set of at-home activities to capture different aspects of gait and posture. I measured them using inertial sensors on a smartwatch and processed them with an AI model to identify motion differences associated with Parkinson’s. I called this set of apps “ParkinSpot” and tested them on my own data where I simulated motor skill anomaly symptoms. 

I was very excited that my research got selected for presentation at the International Movement Disorder Society’s annual conference this year. As I head into my senior year of high school, I aspire to study biomedical engineering in college so that I can continue contributing towards finding solutions for neurodegenerative diseases.

Through the Parkinson’s Foundation, I have been able to connect with others who have been impacted by this disease. It has been gratifying to have the opportunity to hear their personal stories and concerns and to be able to share with them the numerous resources available through the Parkinson’s Foundation. 

Over the past year, I have also been raising funds for the Foundation through my music performances at local venues. This has given me the chance to combine my love for singing with my drive to make a difference for those affected by Parkinson’s. 

Working as a Parkinson’s Foundation ambassador has shown me how much a community like this matters — where everyone contributes in their own way to make life better for patients. 

If Parkinson’s has touched your family or you want to learn more about the fight against this disease, the Foundation is a great place to start.

Interested in getting involved? Explore the many ways you can fundraise to support the Parkinson’s Foundation.