June 18, 2014

White Dog and The White Dog Army

Wonderful World Wednesday

White Dog and the Army know too well the horrible affects of Parkinson’s disease in both humans and dogs. It is debilitating and often sends the victim into a tailspin of depression, withdrawal, isolation, until they lose all will to live. For those who suffer, and their families, the world is not very wonderful.

But the love of an 11-year-old girl for her grandfather and an opportunity for healthy people to help advance research give hope that those who struggle with this disease may soon find the world more accessible and wonderful…

11-Year-old Invents Non-spill Cup for Grandfather With Parkinson’s

by Good News Network - June 11, 2014

A young girl has invented a spill proof cup for her grandfather whose unsteady hands were causing him to spill drinks.

Lily Born of Chicago began imaging solutions a few years ago dreaming of ways to help him cope better with Parkinson’s. Then, she had an idea to attach legs onto his tumbler to prevent it from spilling. The Kangaroo Cup was born.

The first ceramic version proved too breakable and uncomfortable to hold so Lilly and her parents went back to the drawing board. This week they have successfully raised money with an online Kickstarter campaign to fund the improvements.

The new cups made with moldable prototyping plastic are stackable, unbreakable, and microwave & dishwasher safe. Still tip-resistant, the new three-legged design has an elevated base reducing the need for a coaster, and is made with BPA-free plastic.

The campaign is essentially pre-selling the 9-ounce cups. They already have raised $37,000 with still 26 days to go.

“Just because you’re a kid, doesn’t mean you can’t do big and great things’, the pre-teen designer says.

You can help advance our knowledge of Parkinson's Disease…

The Oregon Health & Science University’s Parkinson Center is looking for 

Healthy Volunteers for their Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI)

This is a landmark observational study designed to help define biomarkers of Parkinson's disease progression. By better understanding risk factors, such as smell loss, doctors may be able to identify Parkinson's before the onset of motor symptoms. People over the age of 60 and who do NOT have Parkinson's are needed for this study which will assess the relationship between Parkinson's and the sense of smell.

Early detection is a crucial step in understanding the causes of PD and developing better treatments.

Find out if you are eligible to participate by taking the smell survey at michaeljfox.org/takethesmellsurvey or contact Alicia Portillo at portillo@ohsu.edu. The study is hoping to reach 10,000 people.