A Son’s Journey: From Parkinson’s Disease Caregiver to Advocate with Dr. George Ackerman

Lisa Skinner: 00:00:00

Hello, everybody. Welcome back to another brand new episode of the truth, lies and Alzheimer's show. I'm Lisa Skinner, your host, and I am super excited today because I have a very special guest here with me. His name is Dr. George Ackerman. He was also a speaker on my mining dementia summit that I organized last January. So I've invited him back to be a guest on the tooth lice and Alzheimer's show because he just released a brand new book. And I want him to tell you all about it. So before we get into that, let me just introduce you and tell you a little bit more about His name is Dr. George Ackerman. He also goes by Sharon sun, and will explain that to you in a few minutes. He's originally from Brooklyn, New York. He's now resides in Florida. And he works in the fields of law, police and education. This man has more degrees than I think anybody I've ever come across. He is a JD doctor of jurisprudence, which means he's a lawyer. He's also a PhD. And he teaches at the university level. And then he could correct me if I'm wrong, but he also is involved in with career in the police arena. So he can elaborate on that if he'd like to. So quite an accomplished young man. Now, what happened with George is he lost his mother, whose name is Sharon riff Ackerman, back in January of 2020, due to her long term disease of having Parkinson's disease. So he has created a movement, if you will, called together for Sharon, in honor of her memory, and to find a cure for Parkinson's disease. So in this capacity, he continues to help in raising awareness on Parkinson's disease, to help bring about change. And that is such a needed thing, just like I do with Alzheimer's disease and dementia, Parkinson's disease is actually a neurological disease as well. So we're going to talk about that. But I was really excited for him to come on and talk about this brand new book that he just released. And I want to say, before we bring George on to start talking about his book, that George has got to be hands down the most dedicated and devoted son I have ever known. And that's including my very own son. So my first question for George, because I have seen his relentless dedication to raising awareness of Parkinson's disease, and just cherishing his mother's memory. I really would love to hear George, what for you was so very special about your mom, that to you, that keeps you absolutely driven for keeping her memory alive. And for finding a cure for Parkinson's disease for everybody who's coming up after your mom's experience with it. So you would you mind sharing that with us because I have just, you know, I am just I admire you for your dedication and your devotion. So because I've seen that about you, and you're so driven, I would love to hear what was so special about your mom to you.

Lisa Skinner: 00:04:37

Dr. George Ackerman: Thank you, again, honored to be here. I can tell your family we've known each other for quite a time and you've been amazing to come and do an interview with me and together for sharon.com and hopefully we'll be you know, these topics Alzheimer's dementia and Parkinson's are not something I believe we could just have a quick conversation they have to be continual. This discussions until we find cures for all them. And I want to thank you staff too, because everyone there is just incredible. I love your show and anything I can ever do to help. You always count me and I love the summit too. Just to get right to it. My mother is my best friend. So when she passed through the park and feel like a piece of me also was lost forever. There are a lot of positives, unfortunately. Because number one negative is no longer with me. But I've met so many inspiring people like yourself, and so many battling Parkinson's today that inspire me to keep fighting, we started together for sure on.com thinking just to remember my mother, and I thought maybe three or four people would see it and that will be fine. We've had over 40,000 people visit the site. The book came when the book came out of something where I didn't really want I've written books, not in this world of Parkinson's Disease Awareness, I never really wanted to or thought of it. But what I did have is I kept a journal the last year on my mother's life inside The Good, the Bad and the Ugly from the viewpoint of a caregiver. And I just decided recently that it needs to be out there because so many people have a lot of misconceptions about Parkinson's disease, like they think it's the elderly man disease, which is not true. Also, it's the fastest growing neurological disorder in the world. It's about 1 million people in the US. But you know, also 10 million around the world, I was shocked when I found that out plus, doesn't count the millions of families affected daily by it. And now I'm finding out I don't know if it's because it's such a quick growing disease, but people are now finding out you know, their mailman has it or their neighbor, or this person and it's just more and more which is frightening. And you can also tell how many celebrities are coming out of the woodworks not just Michael J. Fox now. But recently Richard Lewis, a famous comedian from Caribbean enthusiasm actually passed away due to Parkinson's, Muhammad Ali had John Marino and so many others that just kind of heartbreaking. And every time I see somebody struggling with Parkinson's on social media, or someone I know, or attending a live event, like a fundraiser, you know, they come up to me and we hug each other and we cry, just knowing what they're going through. Because I might not have Parkinson's, I might not be a caregiver of someone to live with it. But I was literally, and the book will tell you a hand in hand, with my mother through this fight for 15 years, I didn't really the commons active till the last four years because she had Parkinson, but there's five stages. And during the first three stages, an individual can still be independent, live alone, live life, although it's a progressive disease disorder. And it kind of caught up, we don't know why so quickly. My mother was only a young 69, when she passed, I think in 2024, we should all be around 95, you know, and she really, I feel was robbed 15 years alive with the disease. And I feel 15 years after her passing, though, you could see in my opinion, there were 30 years lost due to this disease that I find today in her memory, that for all those still battling with it and their families. And I also want to never forget all the families and those individuals who lost a loved one, due to Parkinson's and many times it's a tough topic. People don't really want to think about the end of life, we think about the middle in the beginning. But the end of life is so important. Because there's so many things you can avoid, you know, like when did life mess, family arguments and even funeral issues that could all be kind of taken care of beforehand that I think needs to bring more attention to I was lucky because my mother was an angel. She had planned her funeral she planned everything I was a power of attorney. But the fact is, we were told by so many doctors that you don't die of Parkinson's, you die with it. So we were still in shock today that she's not with us. But part of me feels a little bit of a calm because she struggled so badly that she was in such pain that maybe it's sad to say that it's better that you didn't have to keep fighting every day with this disease.

Lisa Skinner: 00:09:16

So in terms of the book, what was your goal in terms of what you really wanted people to get out of the book? Was it to provide a resource so people would have a place to go to learn all about the disease in many, many different aspects. So if that's the case, can you maybe share with us the names of some of the chapters that would help us understand some of the information that's contained in the book.

Lisa Skinner: 00:09:49

Dr. George Ackerman: I really appreciate the time for this because it means the world to me and my family and so many out there but there are a lot of meanings to it. Obviously it's to tell my mother's journey As an individual with Parkinson's battling it also in myself as a caregiver, I was shocked to find out and I would say, please show me if I'm wrong. But it seems I'm the only son in the world that has a book, literally, because I did a lot of research before I decided to do it, but the only son, who released a book in memory of their mother about their mother, going through a struggle with Parkinson's disease, which is shocking in and of itself. And you can even go today, if you have a moment on Amazon, or any of these websites, look up, you know, son, and you won't find anything but ours, which is kind of sad, but in a way, groundbreaking, but the book is important. A lot of the shows I do and even my own talks, the number one question I get are, what are the science, the chapter one is literally the first sign of the Parkinson, we don't always have the time on the shows, because we have so much to talk about, that I really go deep down in depth as to Parkinson's disease, what it is about it, and some of the signs at least, and the thing is Parkinson's so different for every person. That's why we I believe we don't have a character that's so difficult to medically figure out. But this is about our journey and what my mother went through. Also symptoms. So chapter two symptoms, associated illnesses, and there are treatments, there's no cure, but there are ways to slow the progression. It was so slow. For us. I mean, it was too quick. And also the research wasn't as good 10 years later, my mother was kind of too late for a lot of the you know, exercise and we tried to die. We tried a lot of everything. Basically, if we look back, I don't have any regrets. The only regret I kind of joke about I

Lisa Skinner: 00:11:40

put you on pause for a second there in terms of your mother, because I know everybody's different. Same with Alzheimer's disease and you know, the other 200 brain diseases that are that exist out there that cause dementia. So specifically talking about your mom, what do you remember as being her first signs or symptoms of developing Parkinson's disease. My

Lisa Skinner: 00:12:08

Dr. George Ackerman: mother was a strong person independent. She always said she didn't want to burden her family. And so she didn't really talk about it. I heard the word Parkinson's for seven years. But again, it didn't really change her life, except that she started towards the end of a major stiffness in her left arm, which almost left it like she couldn't use her left arm, the towards the last four years when I started taking over. She couldn't really be it out a lot. We like food, she loved food. And she just couldn't cut some of the foods. So we had to help. But besides that, again, the first several years, she was still able to live a life in the pennant drive shops here, friends, live life and a lot of the signs and things she kept inside, which I wish she didn't do. The only way I knew about it was through my father who's a doctor and he kind of, you know, found out or even medically, because he's at the end diagnosis or there's no actual diagnosis for Parkinson's. They kind of look at other diseases and things that you said like dementia, and they rule out those and then throw you into the box of target things, which is a problem because that's a big problem with medication, then late diagnosis or wrong diagnosis, which is a problem. I still think my mother had late onset dementia because towards the end, she had major issues with hallucinations and delusions, which at times were more frightening than even Parkinson disease. But we again aren't 100% Sure, because you can get signed gained time to dementia when you have Parkinson due to the medication, though some of the most number one time. Michael J. Fox is he has a movie a few years ago on Apple TV, and he said it was a singer started moving but my mother was her left arm 100% was very stiff. And that was where the stiffness in the gait dyskinesia, the dystonia. Third were the curling of the toes. Also, she started, you know, the last few years where the words were her voice was lower. She also had trouble even eating she lost a tremendous amount of weight that it just got, you know, everyday I felt like I was a little now and a hammer of hitting me because everything we tried, this seemed to not work. And every day there was just something else that was more tragic, and we just we never dropped it. You wouldn't be with us. You know, one 120 20

Lisa Skinner: 00:14:26

I think really what you just did was dispel a very common myth that circulates around Parkinson's disease which is people associate the disease with everybody having tremors and the the Parkinsonian gait as we call it, and from what you just said that's not necessarily true with Michael J. Fox. It was one finger moving and your mom they didn't necessarily start off with tremors and And, and the noted gait? Did they? Did she ever have the Parkinsonian gait or the tremors that they show up eventually.

Lisa Skinner: 00:15:11

Dr. George Ackerman: It's interesting you say that because my mother didn't have like Mr. Fox who had the more external tremor she didn't have, she had more internal so he was upset at times because she thought people didn't believe her, which is even more frustrating. But then I looked at a video a few days, and we don't have a lot of videos I was gonna say earlier, my only regret in life is that I wish back then we didn't have podcasts really and ability. And my dream would have been or my wish would have been to have a show of my mother, not about park at the end of life, you know, just to have those memories would have been so important right now. But we didn't that's my only regret not medicines or anything because we tried every we try 15 expert doctors, but I wish I had that opportunity because even writing the book, thankfully, my aunt or sister is still with us. And she helped me a lot. But a lot of the background and my mother's life was not easy to come up with because I don't I was too young. So but she did have a when I saw I was looking at a video recently I posted on social media. And I did see my mother actually started she did the last few years have the external tremors, the difficulty in not moving, you know, the uncontrollable moving so she did on the gate too. So it came more later. But there are individuals out there that don't show every sign that you would think that Michael J Fox had the external tremor. So there are so many unfortunate signs and indicate there are people now I speak to have young onset Parkinson's who don't have tremendous tremors and then there are others who do and so it all varies.

Lisa Skinner: 00:16:44

Well, I think another very important distinction that we should just touch on. Now, because I don't think a lot of people out there might be aware of this. Because there's a very unique aspect of Parkinson's disease that it's a known to a lot of people. And that's the fact that some people who progress to Parkinson's disease develop the dementia component of it. And we have watched you bring up Michael J. Fox, I mean, Michael J. Fox was diagnosed with his Parkinson's disease as a very young man, I think he was 29 years old. And he's been living with it for 30 years now. But he still does not have the dementia component. I mean, he's as sharp as is attack, he does have the physical aspects that show up with Parkinson's disease. And I remember asking you if your mother had the dementia, and you said only she developed it in the last four years of her life. So do you want to elaborate on that a little bit, if you can, why we see that aspect of it in some people, and we don't in other people.

Lisa Skinner: 00:18:11

Dr. George Ackerman: I think it could be the medications or she again had it they developed basically the way I became a caregiver, I was thrown into it, like you throw someone into the court who just finished law school or police officer into the field who just stepped out of the academy, or they say like, into the wolves from, you know, just getting so my mother when we went and we tried everything, like if we had the time, if you took if you're a scientist and said these are the steps you should take, we did everyone and we did even more. And it just nothing worked. So unfortunate, she went the last hope. She went to a special trial. And again, I'm not mad at the doctors. It's not their fault. They try but she went to a very, very, very, very prestigious university, that unknown name. Even in the book, it's not their fault, but they I think they might have drastically changed or altered her medications too quickly. And she came back that night for years when I started before she passed. And I got a call a frantic call from my father in New York to rush over to my mother's house around for I am in Florida. And I have no clue and I've trained for emergency then I like this. They get her home late at night and I see her moving her furniture out of her home. I had no clue what was going on why I spoke to her and she was frantic and said the Nazis inside and they're going to harm her. And I rushed her to the emergency room and found out that she was having a horrible attack and couldn't be a UTI and all this stuff and I don't even know what that meant or anything. And we said they said we saved her life. But really, that was the journey that began for me it's caregiver and it was almost worse. Like I don't even know if it was I was great for saving or torture for having her go through the next four years. But that was the first time I brought it At the hospital, I ran home to get some clothing. And this is where the world in my opinion dementia might have already been going on that we didn't know about. And I never went in her room a lot because it was a private space in her home, she lived alone, but I went to her room to get some clothes. And I don't know if I told you the story. But you know how we have little post it notes. But when I walked in the room, it was almost like a horror movie, or the movie, the beautiful mine. She had posted notes surrounding the room and on each note for names of animals and human beings who she wasn't sure if they're alive anymore, or past. And on the notes were people like her mom, my father who was in New York, and she wrote down who is there in reality, and who wasn't because that's where the hallucinations and delusions were just too strong. And then from that point on, some days were very difficult because she would laugh a little thing, mothers in the room or she remember her she was a little child and remembered her dog and thing. So you didn't want to laugh because it wasn't funny. You didn't want to cry, because you didn't want her to be upset. But I just tried my best to support her. And I found I found that the only time she was okay was when I was by our side. I don't know why. But she felt comfortable with me. And when I wasn't there, it was complete chaos. Like, if we forget her, and you'll see in the book, that just nightmare.

Lisa Skinner: 00:21:23

That whole experience must have been at least as hard on you and your family. I know you've mentioned that you have three children, did they see their grandma like this? I'm

Lisa Skinner: 00:21:37

Dr. George Ackerman: actually writing a children's book, but from the point of view of my mother or grandmother, because we couldn't explain Parkinson's even today, I have three children at the time. Well, my cell young about one or two years old one was about five. And the older one was about eight, seven and eight. And she was my mother's love of her life. She always dreamt she'd have a girl. She never did. She had two boys, me and my brother. So the second I'll never forget the day with my wife. And I told my mother, we're having our first child. And it's a girl, my mother cry because she always dreamt of buying dolls and dressing up. So that was like the best moment one of the best moments in my life I'll never forget, but they didn't understand one specific instance I write about in the book, My daughter, Brooke, me and my mother were in her room, my mother's room one Sunday morning. And unfortunately, this is again, a sign of everything. But my mother started hugging her pillows, and saying how much you love Brooke, my daughter, her granddaughter. And my daughter looked at me and I looked at her and we just kind of smiled but didn't smile. We didn't understand and understand what to tell my daughter that my mother actually thought that the pillows were Brooke. And she was hugging them like passionately and saying how much she loved Brooke. But there are in fact, you know, pillows and there were certain times and another just couldn't appreciate or understand what reality was or any of that was horrifying. And those are the moments and I want to forget, but they're kind of ingrained in your mind. And they kind of destroy the good memories because that's you know, the last time last few years that I remember about you know what was going on?

Lisa Skinner: 00:23:13

Well, interestingly, just last week, I released an entire episode dedicated to how to talk to your children about Alzheimer's disease or any of these neurological diseases to prepare them in case because my my grandmother had Alzheimer's disease, she was my very first experience. And that was like 50 years ago, when I was a teenager watching her display a lot of the symptoms that you just talked about the hallucinations, the paranoia, the delusions. And when she was in a memory care home, I would take my children to visit her. And so I wanted to prepare them for some of this peculiar things that she might say and the way she might act. So they'd understand that grandma has a disease, so wouldn't kind of freak them out or scare them. And over the last 30 years since I've been working in the elder care industry, I have seriously had so many adult children or adult adults. Tell me about their experience having a grandparent with Alzheimer's or you know, some some disease that causes dementia. And nobody ever prepared them for it and it freaked them out. And I think it's I'm glad you're doing the book because I think it's another area that we really need to raise awareness and prepare our kids because a lot A lot of these situations they've carried on into their adult lives. And because it was a scary thing for them at the time. So what do you think about that, based on the fact that your children actually did witness some of the behaviors and symptoms that were displayed by your mom that were, you know, similar the hallucinations, the paranoia, the delusions, and sounds like you did a good job explaining to them that

Lisa Skinner: 00:25:36

Dr. George Ackerman: this was a third, sorry to hear that you have to go through the or you did, too. That's why I think we get together, our voices are so much stronger, but we are a family, and all the sites and all the diseases because if we don't do it, and who is so we really have to, you know, I feel like we're voices for the voiceless sometime. And even before my time, with this stuff, we're timeout, and my background is I've been an advocate my whole life, before World of Parkinson's and caregiving actually, was a lot. I'm an attorney in Florida in DC, also have a PhD in criminal justice. And I'm also a police officer. But my dissertation in my area, my expertise was eating African American mothers who lost a loved one due to murder in West Palm Beach, Florida. So I've been an advocate for victims of crime my whole life and just kind of moved over to this world. But there's so many people out there that need a voice. And my book means the world to me, it's because it's about my mother. But it's not always like we spoke earlier, if you could get awareness, you have to, you know, get aware, you have to get people aware. And that's been a struggle, even in the world of Parkinson's awareness. Like I said, there's not really anyone else who's a son, who lost the loved one mother like me out there, I wish there was a join with them all. But it's important for my kids, even I always think like, do I want them to continue to go to sharon.com on after, I'm not here anymore, but then I kind of thought, I hope they'll have to hope by then we have a cure. Today I speak to them, they're a lot older, my daughter is now 11. She remembers her grandmother and loves her. And we always make sure she'll never forget. My middle one is sometimes he remembers, but not as much. And the youngest one has no memory of her because he was a baby. So I hope that through the book, through all of our work, and even talking to you today, they'll never forget. And I hope that someday I can. I'm working on other books and things not easy. Because, you know, you and I both I'm sure do this all voluntary. We spent countless hours, many nights I don't sleep thinking about my mom, I missed her. But all the people still going through this. And that's why I don't rest at night. Because I don't want anyone to ever have to go through what she did, or our family. That's really the only reason I don't accept money. We actually have done this for about four years. I've raised over $20,000 for other organizations like Michael J. Fox Foundation, and the American Parkinson's Disease Association. Even if you go to our website, you can donate those links are from those incredible organization. And it's in memory, my mother, but everything goes to them. So we don't accept a penny. You send me a penny, I'll send it back to you. I'm not even joking. But it's hard even in 2024 to reach people because they think that you people like us don't exist, you know that people have some kind of motive. There's nothing, no anything I want, I would love my mother back selfishly, but that's not possible. So why not? So for other people who would still have a chance, you know, and still are out there fighting, but it's shocking. To even bring that up. You know, I mean, you might get it too. But just the other day, I had a weird I tried to bring on my head just me to go the vision I just made people think we're bigger. We don't want to be a foundation, I'd rather not deal with money and deal with all that stuff. And so the other day, I thought why not? You know, we have all these organizations in there great. How many of them really can affect that one person, you know that I know that it's at home struggling that they lost their career because of Parkinson's and now they can't even afford medicine. I decided to start a little collection on together with sharon.com It's both people with Parkinson's around the world and I highlight people who have incredible have now maybe like artists who now can make a living doing art because they lost their career as a truck driver. So you know, I wrote on this Facebook group, which I'll mention to again, that's my third book coming out about the dark side of social media. But you know, there's more positive of course, but I posted on this thing, that target is our work and it was all just people with Parkinson's that are there around the world. I said anyone out there I'll put your art your website and be like a conduit just to get awareness so people know about you. All these people loved it. They all email me it's up now we're done. I moved on. I had to do other things, actually trying to find people with Parkinson's who are athletes. Anyway, So headed up, all of a sudden, I get a weird email, not to get too far out of balance, but from some administrative groups, which is hilarious. And she writes me any message. We don't want anyone exploiting our members exploiting, I don't accept money, we don't want anything, we just want to help them with awareness. So people know they're out there, maybe they can get some money. And we don't anyway said, just look me up, find out I'm a cop, a lawyer. And you know what I do look up to, he didn't want to do any of that. I think they were from another country with Southern matter. But I removed myself I got out of there. But what broke my heart wasn't the root person, there was a, there's only like to 300 people in the group, which to us might not be a lot. But to me, those are people going through Parkinson's, and it means a lot that they know they're not alone. And as people like me fighting for them, and we don't want anything in return. So this just 30 people who are on my side, and I became family, whether, you know, we're all friends now. But the 200 and you know, 70, who now because of this genius, nice person doesn't know him out there. You know, we'll never know who they are. And they'll never have awareness. So those are things that really kind of break my heart. I always say that journey, I'm not aware of the ones that hurt. It's just people out there that think they're alone. And they don't realize there are people like you and I out there fighting for them. And that's the real shame. But again, you know, the two or three negatives don't outweigh the millions of people who I've just become like family with. And I won't ever stop fighting until we find a cure because of them.

Lisa Skinner: 00:31:29

Yeah, that's you're an amazing personal George. There's no ifs, ands, or buts about it. But before we run out of time, I'm going to ask you two more questions. Number one, you've written this wonderful resource. And I'm sure that you wrote your book, for the same reasons I've written my several books, is, so people don't have to

Lisa Skinner: 00:31:58

try to figure everything out on their own. And it's really difficult. I still hear this from people today, that they're just, they have a difficult time finding resources to help them and and they are given, like, no resources to help them after they hear the diagnosis. And they don't know who to turn to, and they don't know where to go. I actually had a client of mine say to me one time, and this was the impetus behind what I do, which is very similar to what you do, is she told me that I needed to write a book. Because if I didn't, it would be very selfish of me not to share the information that I had spent 30 years learning plus eight family members going through dementia, because it was so hard for people out there to to find information. And they have, they're just like thrown into thrown to the wolves, basically, to figure out themselves. And I think your goal is the same as mine is so people don't have to struggle. It's hard enough going through it with a family member being a caregiver, figuring there's just so many layers, and it's just so complicated. So I basically dedicated my life to raising awareness. Because what what, what does that do? It provides people with knowledge and knowledge will give them their superpowers. And I think that's what I hear you saying, too. So if you could pick one thing, through your experience with your mom, to help somebody else who's in the beginning of this journey, with their loved one, to help them have an easier time. What would that advice be? What would what would you recommend that their takeaway be from this interview? So they don't have to go through as hard of a struggle as you did when your mom was going through it because you didn't know what you didn't know today. The

Lisa Skinner: 00:34:34

Dr. George Ackerman: book is great. And I'm just saying it, I don't care about the money. I would give it free. I don't care anymore. I just want people to know it's out there because it will change their life. Some people I do recommend not to read every chapter get to send the last. We have chapters like we mentioned my primary caregiving, which is a lot of tips on what I did, how what worked and what didn't. My support, you have to have support my wife and my children. I wouldn't be here today, even though Do you remember this book not just about my mother journey of mine, it's about advocating today. So it's almost like a new life that I've started. It's almost like the Michael Buble song. It's a new day, it's a new I'm not a singer. So that also goes over trying to find good aids because there were times I needed support, great caregiving the last week, it's the toughest chapter. So I always say you can, it's some people, it's almost like that candy you want. But you know, you shouldn't have the, you know, you want him but I mean it, I'll tell you what Parkinson's is like from the middle, beginning and unfortunately to the end. But if we don't know the end for everyone, because it's so different. Also the family, I was lucky enough to have a chapter called family and friends, remember, we're all a lot of our best friends or whole life wrote little passages about her for where they were when they found out she had Parkinson's, also the aftermath. And my favorite chapters are the mission forward, which is my advocacy today. And then grateful to so many like yourself who have become like my family. But the number one tip or thing I would say is really the number one secret is to be there and hold their hand and support your loved one and forget all the nonsense fights or little tidbit arguments that don't matter at that moment, because now they need you, you know, my mother wouldn't be the man I am or accomplish what I have today. It wasn't from my mother sacrifices. She was a schoolteacher, she had a master's degree and gave it all up to raise me and my brother, when she didn't have to. So I knew the day that she needed me, I would give up my whole life to help her or betray my life to have her here. So even though it's hard, not easy to talk about some time, I mean, I've done it so many time. But you know, the last memory I wanted to leave with is even the cover of the book, I can look at some time because it's my favorite memory in my life besides when my my wife and my had my children, but that photo of my mother and I, it's from my wedding, it was the Mother Son dance. And it was one time like two or three minutes where Parkinson's didn't exist, it didn't matter. We just stare at each other. We talked, we laughed, felt like time froze like in the movies. And that's the memory that I just never want to forget. And that's why we picked that, because she looks so beautiful. And she was so happy. And it no matter what Parkinson's was doing to all of us at that moment. It just didn't matter. But we were together. And that's the number one lesson I learned is, you know, I have no regrets about anything. Except that you know, whether it's but that I did, because I was there by her side, you know, 24/7 on my Sundays, obviously, I had to hire groups of caregivers, which was another disaster. That's a whole chapter because they, you know, we went through, we fired about 80. It's 17 companies. And because no one knew what Parkinson's was. They say they didn't have a clue. My mother was an independent person and lived alone. And I bring on all these strangers. And the only reason we had we didn't want to put her in a home because I swore I wouldn't. But there were days that I changed my mind and didn't do it. That it was very, very, it was a struggle for me to I didn't have Parkinson, but I always feel like it's almost like secondary Parkinson's, if that's a term. Maybe I coined it because I felt like seeing it, being there through it. And I felt like I had it too even though because I mean, I physically was burned, went through depression, scared fear, you know, everything happy joy to destruction and chaos. So that was what it felt like the last few years that I do have a little saying I always leave every show whether if you don't mind me saying now I can wait till this is for you and all those out there listening. And please share this and the poor Lisa because what she does mean the world to me and her friendship. And I consider a family. But without individuals like you and your audience. I don't think I'd be here today because there's a lot of dark days and I begin able to take the tough times and kind of put them a little bit behind and move forward in the positive because of people like you and all the incredible support you will give me but we love you. We support you. We care a lot about you and you're never alone. I along with Lita will advocate for you. And together I feel our voices are so much stronger. Because I'm just you know one person one son and can only reach so many people but together feel like we can really reach the world and I always kind of not joke okay, I'm just getting started because even though I've been doing this for a little time, there are days where I feel burnt out and want to give up but people like again you and people still fighting the disease that I see online. Really, really, really motivated me and really make me kind of come alive again every day and that's why I keep fighting keep pushing until we find a cure. So just want to know if we have more coverage and I want to thank you always, for your time friendship and love. It means more than words will ever be able to express on a show

Lisa Skinner: 00:39:59

Have you just absolutely melted my heart? George, sweetest anybody has said to me that I can think of in a really long time, thank you so much. And I feel the same way about you. We must be kindred spirits, or something. And then because it was quite by accident that our paths ended up crossing. Before we go, I wanted to say that there's absolutely no question that George has written a very comprehensive encyclopedia, if you will, of information that would be so valuable to anybody who is sharing Parkinson's disease with their loved one or caring for somebody with Parkinson's disease. And it sounds like he thought of everything to share with somebody who really needs to be prepared for every day of this journey. And I think he accomplished that with this book. And I, by the way, I love that picture of you and your mom, myself, it caught my attention the first time I saw it, and it just is so special. And the last thing that I want you to share with everybody is your contact information, your website and how they can find the book, how they can learn more about you and your drive to find a cure for Parkinson's disease. Before we sign off, how can they people find you?

Lisa Skinner: 00:41:45

Dr. George Ackerman: I appreciate and thank you again, and your listeners and viewers for your time. I mean, so much more than just conversation, please share it and support your work too. Because that means a lot to me as well. And together for sure. n.com It's just me, you might go there and say this is their organization, a corporation is not, we don't accept money, you can email me there. If you are battling Parkinson's, or a caregiver, I always love sharing your story. Because I feel that it's not just about me and my mother anymore. It's about everybody. And we're a family in this fight we have to be there are some that aren't a family, unfortunately, those are the people that I'm baffled still today. And you know, I learned something new every day. But then you know, we need to all be together, we're going to be further from the cure. Together. Sharon I designed really just to remember my mother but it's really become a live life of the talent doesn't even eat me. It has interviews it has like this podcast will be there. Eventually. It has our podcasts, which is about Parkinson's awareness. Somehow I've interviewed people from the Michael J. Fox Foundation from the United States Senator Rick Scott, have some experts in the medical field and it's getting filled, incredible and even interview people. Just last week, a young woman who had young onset Parkinson's, who does love love letters to her children. In case she's not here anymore. And it's heartbreaking but such a beautiful story. There's so many stories out there, just you know, we need them to be heard. There's also interviews with celebrities, even I've written messages, one of my mother's favorite people in the world was Kenny G. And somehow I was able to reach him. He wrote a song and also gave a message to my mother. And it's on the website along with Ozzy Osbourne son, Jack Osbourne, I've had the honor to meet Michael J. Fox a few times. Now, our journeys up there, and he's a hero and advocate that I just inspires me His birthday was yesterday, actually. And just a lot of information, all the 700 interviews, including yours that I've done, are all on there. And the best thing is, everything's completely free. There's no charge to do the work. I do that no charge to view it. Just wanted to live on again. So people know that they're never alone. And the book can be purchased on Amazon. But if you go to together Fisher on.com Click about us and you see our book, it'll show you I mean I don't know how but we have paperback we have audio we have ebook. And we even have a the audio and it's funny because it's not my voice. I'm not a fan. It's a movie person's voice. And it's really beautiful to see, you know, see it all just come to my my dream really, would be to see my book become a movie and I wouldn't accept the penny. I just see Hallmark and Oprah and all these great channels. And there's not even one show ever on Parkinson disease. And I think it's time but unfortunately an agent. I don't know anything about that. You know, I don't know maybe someone wanted and someday we'll see our little interview and be interested in ever and that's what my hope is. But I really think that this story is so much bigger than just me and my mother and people would love it and they need to have something about Parkinson's on the Hallmark Channel on the Katie Couric show on Oprah and all the things that just I don't know how to reach them. I've tried Students, that's the one downfall awareness. You know, I've sent this team letters over several times, to politicians, to celebrities, and to media and it's just, you know, hard to get responses. But you know me, I won't give up. I appreciate again, your time everybody out there support, never gonna stop fighting no matter what until we find a cure. And the one rule that I don't recommend to break, which I have is as a caregiver or advocate, you have to take care of your own health. Don't do that. Don't do that. And there's a reason number one is, finally, my mother was struggling, I didn't want to ever regret a moment even a second that I couldn't be there for her. I did sacrifice my own health. But I fought and I'm still here. And even as an advocate. Every time I see somebody fighting and struggling, I feel like I know even today, I as you know, many might not I had three major major back surgeries, I could have canceled today. But I didn't want to because whether I had pain or not, and I'm recovering. If we even reach this one person today, through this show, we've changed their life. And they know they're not alone. And we've done something that words can't describe money doesn't matter. And that's why I keep doing it, even though I take a little break. But you know me, I won't. Even after this, I'll be fighting. I really, again, just thankful for your friendship Time. And I hope for many more incredible moments together in the future. And for everybody out there listening to

Lisa Skinner: 00:46:27

Well, George, this has been a really, really moving discussion. Thank you for everything you do. Thank you for being here today. I hope that we did touch a lot of people through our conversation and talking about Parkinson's Disease Awareness. So for all of you who took your valuable time today to be here with us and to listen to our conversation about Parkinson's disease. Thank you so much for joining us. You are listening to the truth lies and Alzheimer's Show.

Lisa Skinner: 00:47:05

I'm your host Lisa Skinner and I will be back next week with another brand new episode for you. Take care for now and we'll talk to you next week.

Lisa Skinner: 00:47:15

Bye bye