Parkinson’s Article
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Laughter Network and Parkinson’s Awareness Week
Julie Whitehead joined Bob Taylor from the Parkinsons Disease Society at the Churchill Theatre in Bromley, Kent on Friday 11th April 2008 when they ran LAUGH- 4-FUN sessions to raise awareness of Parkinson’s Disease.
The Laughter sessions were a great success with approximately 20 + people attending. Some were in wheelchairs, some came as family groups, some had Parkinson’s and others were members of the public. The actors at the theatre and two French boys who had just arrived in England that day joined in the laughter, proving that laughter is a universal language. As they chuckled and giggled and laughed out loud, they all agreed it made them feel happy and relaxed.
Bob was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 1998 and in 2005 attended one of Julie’s laughter sessions. He found the experience so totally uplifting that he immediately signed up to train as a Laughter Facilitator.
Bob says:
“The laughter session made me reflect just how serious we can make life by worrying about things that may never happen. I realised that every situation gives me a choice, and I now choose to be happy much more often.”
Bob now runs Laughter Sessions with various Parkinson’s Groups, in an effort to make the members feel more positive about their lives and has spoken at the Annual Conference on several occasions.