The Frank P. Phillips YMCA Parkinson’s aquatics exercise program that started 10 years ago really began in Japan, when Wesley Platt visited an international Rotary Convention in Osaka.
As he was walking through the convention center where Rotary Clubs from all over the world were showing exhibits of the programs they operate, Platt’s attention was drawn to one club’s presentation, an aquatics program designed for people with Parkinson’s disease.
His first thoughts went to a couple of old friends back home in Columbus who were suffering from the disease.
“I was thinking of them,” Platt said Tuesday during the Columbus Rotary Club’s weekly luncheon at Lion Hills Center. “What I didn’t know is that a couple of years later, my dad would be in the program.”
When Platt returned to Columbus he pitched the idea to the YMCA, which was able to obtain a small grant to establish its Parkinson’s aquatics program. Stephanie Gibson at the Y took classes to become a certified trainer. Over the past 10 years, Gibson has helped 35 to 40 Parkinson’s patients through the twice-weekly classes. Each week, 18 to 20 patients participate in the classes.
Gibson says there no “drop-ins” or “drop-outs.” The patients stay in the classes until death or they are moved into full-time nursing facilities. Their devotion to the classes is a testament to its benefits.
The classes are not a cure, of course. There is no known cure for Parkinson’s, a progressive deterioration of the nervous system that robs people of their ability to control their motor skills. But the exercise program does ease the affects of the disease, at least temporarily, and often slows its progression.
On Tuesday, it was announced the YMCA will expand the program to include what it calls “land classes,” Again, the Columbus Rotary Club was the catalyst, providing The Y, $4,200 to purchase the specially-designed pedals that the land class uses. Gibson says the pedals, which can be used while the patient is seated, even in a wheelchair, provide many of the same benefits derived from its aquatics class. The Y hopes to begins the classes in October.
The land class also may appeal to patients who have a fear of water, are reluctant to wear a bathing suit or have difficulty changing into a bathing suit.
The land classes will allow the YMCA to serve more Parkinson’s patients, but it’s only the tip of the iceberg, as Gibson learned Tuesday.
During Tuesday’s meeting, Gibson asked how many people in the audience had a family member or close friend who suffered from Parkinson’s. Her plan was to ask each person who raised his or her hand about their experience.
But when Gibson asked the question, more than half of the audience raised their hands, about 40 people. Gibson was surprised by the number, but it does illustrate just how common Parkinson’s has become.
It also demonstrates just how relevant the YMCA’s Parkinson’s programs are.
We applaud the YMCA and the Columbus Rotary for their efforts in helping to ease the suffering and improve the lives of those who suffer from this cruel disease.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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