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Proclamation Declaring April 2025, as Parkinson’s Awareness Month in Rockville, Maryland (Mayor Ashton)
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Recommendation
Staff recommends that the Mayor and Council read and approve the proclamation and present it to City of Rockville Management Assistant/Community Support Advocate, Mary Grace Sabol.
Discussion
This April, millions of people around the world will recognize April as Parkinson's Awareness Month. James Parkinson, a surgeon, apothecary, geologist and paleontologist, best known for his essay on” Shaking Palsy,” in where he described “paralysis agitans,” a condition that would later be renamed Parkinson’s disease by Jean-Martin Charcot, considered to be founder of modern neurology.
Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurological disorder that affects nearly one million people in the United States. This number is expected to rise to 1.2 million by 2030.
Parkinson’s Awareness Day is April 11, 2025
Parkinson’s Awareness Week is April 10 -16, 2025
Parkinson Awareness Month is April 2025
Approximately 90,000 new cases are reported every year. This number does not reflect the thousands of cases that go undetected. Someone is diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease (PD) every 6 minutes in the U.S. Incidences of Parkinson's disease increase with age, but an estimated four percent of people with Parkinson's are diagnosed before the age of 50. The combined direct and indirect cost of Parkinson’s, including treatment, social security payments and lost income, is estimated to be nearly $52 billion per year in the U.S. alone. Medications alone cost an average of $2,500 a year and therapeutic surgery can cost up to $100,000 per person. More men are affected by Parkinson’s than women.
The specific group of symptoms that an individual may experience varies from person to
person. Primary motor signs of Parkinson’s disease include the following:
• tremor of the hands, arms, legs, jaw, and face;
• bradykinesia or slowness of movement;
• rigidity or stiffness of the limbs and trunk; and
• postural instability or impaired balance and coordination
10 signs that you may have Parkinson’s Disease:
1. Tremors (Slight shaking I or tremor in finger, thumb, hand, or chin)
2. Small Handwriting (handwriting gets progressively smaller)
3. Loss of Smell (inability to smell certain foods such as bananas, dill pickles, or licorice)
4. Trouble Sleeping (thrashing around in bed, or acting out dreams when deeply asleep)
5. Trouble Moving or Walking (arms don’t swing like they sued to, stiffness in your shoulder or hips)
6. Constipation
7. A soft or low voice
8. Masked Face (a serious or mad look on your face, even though you are in a good mood, called facial masking)
9. Dizziness or Fainting
10. Stooping or Hunching over
What can you do if you have Parkinson’s Disease?
• Work with your doctor to create a plan to stay healthy. This might include:
• A referral to a neurologist, a doctor who specializes in the brain
• Care from an occupational therapist, physical therapist, or speech therapist
• Meeting with a medical social worker to talk about how Parkinson's will affect your life
• Start a regular exercise program to delay further symptoms.
• Talk with family and friends who can provide you with the support you need.
Although promising research is being conducted, there is currently no cure or definitive cause
of Parkinson's disease. There are treatment options such as medication and surgery to manage symptoms.
Mayor and Council History
This is the fifth year the Mayor and Council have recognized and proclaimed Parkinson’s Awareness Month.