“A group of friends from my class would go to the sports center once a week to exercise together, and then we would go for tea and have a chat for the rest of the day.” Ma Wan-fan, a 68-year-old Parkinson’s Disease patient diagnosed seven years ago, is most grateful for the group of friends she met in class who share the same condition, which has made life no longer lonely.
Before 2016, Wan-fan was agile and rarely experienced falls. So when she started falling frequently and having difficulty walking, she realized that her body was sending some kind of signal and sought medical help. The results of the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) also confirmed her diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease. The sudden change in her body affected her physical and mental well-being, and she began to experience emotional problems, avoiding meeting people and being unwilling to engage in conversations.
After a while, Wan-fan realized that she couldn’t continue like this anymore. On her way to the Community Rehabilitation Network Tai Hing Center to pay the entrance fee for a Parkinson’s conference, she happened to ask for directions from another person who was also heading to the center. Encouraged by that person, she applied to become a permanent member of the center on the spot, and that marked the beginning of her fruitful life. Over the years, Wan-fan has participated in activities such as Parkinson’s Tai Chi classes, gait improvement and functional exercise workshops, Parkinson’s leg and core strengthening classes, and early planning workshops, which have expanded her horizons.
Among the various activities, Wan-fan enjoys singing classes the most. “I used to be able to sing high notes, but now I can’t produce any sound when I reach the high register, and my speech is a bit unclear due to Parkinson’s disease. The singing teacher teaches us Parkinson’s patients singing techniques and pronunciation methods. Practicing and reading more words are beneficial for us all.” With numerous activities, Wan-fan now spends about two days a week participating in center activities, and at most, she goes to the center four to five times a week.
Wan-fan’s condition is mainly controlled through medication and exercise. At home, she does some stretching exercises on her own, but she prefers going to the center to do Tai Chi and Ba Duan Jin (Eight Pieces of Brocade) with fellow participants rather than practicing alone at home. “Having people around definitely gives me more motivation.” Wan-fan cherishes the time spent with her friends with Parkinson’s, whether it’s exercising together or having a meal, it brings her great joy. “To my fellow Parkinson’s friends, let’s strive together and keep moving forward.”