FULL-`STRENGTH' EXPRESSION; PARKINSON'S PATIENTS SHARE CREATIVE SIDE.Byline: Jenifer Hanrahan Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease or Parkinsonism, degenerative brain disorder first described by the English surgeon James Parkinson in 1817. When there is no known cause, the disease usually appears after age 40 and is referred to as Parkinson's disease. forced Millard Tipp to give up his career as a photographer, but not his passion for capturing life on film. ``I had a fabulous life before I had Parkinson's, and I'll be damned if I give it up now,'' Tipp often said to members of the support group he ran for people with the degenerative neurological disorder Noun 1. neurological disorder - a disorder of the nervous system nervous disorder, neurological disease disorder, upset - a physical condition in which there is a disturbance of normal functioning; "the doctor prescribed some medicine for the disorder"; . To help people with Parkinson's and their caregivers find an outlet to express themselves, Tipp came up with the idea for an art exhibition to showcase their work. ``Strength of Greatness'' features the work of 20 artists, including Parkinson's patient Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali, pasha of Egypt Muhammad Ali, 1769?–1849, pasha of Egypt after 1805. He was a common soldier who rose to leadership by his military skill and political acumen. . The exhibition, which includes lithographs, sculpture, photography and painting, is on display through March 12 at the Very Special Arts Gallery West in Beverly Hills Beverly Hills, city (1990 pop. 31,971), Los Angeles co., S Calif., completely surrounded by the city of Los Angeles; inc. 1914. The largely residential city is home to many motion-picture and television personalities. . The nonprofit gallery showcases the creative ability of people with disabilities. Proceeds from sale of any of the artwork will benefit the National Parkinson Foundation, an organization that funds medical research and provides services to people with the disease. ``It's immensely important to have something that people who have Parkinson's can actually participate in,'' said Kim Seidman, West Coast director of the National Parkinson Foundation. ``This brings public awareness of Parkinson's into the forefront in a different kind of a way, showing people that people with Parkinson's are just like everyone else.'' More than 1 million people in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. have Parkinson's disease. As the population ages, the number is expected to rise. One of the worst aspects of Parkinson's is that it robs people of the ability to express themselves, said Tipp, 66, who lives in the Cahuenga Pass The Cahuenga Pass (IPA: [kə'wɛŋgə]) (from the indigenous Tongva language) (el. 745 ft. / 227 m) is a mountain pass through the eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountains in the Hollywood district of the City . Symptoms vary from person to person, but the disorder often causes paralyzing muscle rigidity and tremors. There is no known cure. The loss of muscle control can even make it difficult to register emotion, leaving some people with what's called a ``Parkinson's mask.'' ``The disease is a terrible affliction which is devastating dev·as·tate tr.v. dev·as·tat·ed, dev·as·tat·ing, dev·as·tates 1. To lay waste; destroy. 2. To overwhelm; confound; stun: was devastated by the rude remark. to most people's lives,'' said Tipp, president of the Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. Chapter of the National Parkinson Foundation. ``We lose our expression. We lose our voice. We lose our balance. My job is to get patients away from the sofa and television and get them moving and active.'' The Very Special Arts Gallery West is at 184 N. Canon Drive, Beverly Hills. The gallery is open from 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and from noon to 5 p.m. Saturdays. For more information, call (310) 385-0499. CAPTION(S): 2 Photos Photo: (1--2) ``Face of a Champion,'' left, by Caryn Fregoso, and ``Parkinson's Tulip,'' above, by Marie Smeznik, are included in ``Strength of Greatness,'' on display through March 12 at the Very Special Arts Gallery West in Beverly Hills. |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion