Jeanette Branch is lacing up her joggers for another A Walk in the Park event this year.
Photo by
Lua Ikenasio
When Jeanette Branch was first diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2007, she was adamant that she wouldn’t give in to the disease.
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Now, 18 years on, she has remained active and continues to raise awareness and money through initiatives such as A Walk in the Park.
The event is one of Fight Parkinson’s major fundraisers, and Mrs Branch will lead the way as an ambassador for the second consecutive year.
Mrs Branch spoke at last years A Walk in the Park event in Melbourne as one of the ambassadors. Photo: Supplied.
Mrs Branch said it is an honour to be chosen as one of eight of the events ambassadors.
“I’m just very proud to do it. It’s a matter of bringing awareness to members of the community about Parkinson’s and what it involves,” she said.
“No two people with Parkinson’s are the same. My brother also has Parkinson’s, and he’s totally different to me.
“I’d like Echuca Moama to get behind me and show the event support so that they know there’s something out there for them.”
The community showed strong support for Mrs Branch’s local event last year.
Photo by
Aidan Briggs
Parkinson's disease occurs when the nerve cells in the brain don't make enough of the body chemical dopamine, which can affect your movement and mood.
Some common symptoms include tremors, muscle stiffness, slowing of movement and posture changes.
It is estimated that more than 219,000 Australians have Parkinson’s today, 57,000 of whom are located in Victoria.
For Mrs Branch, the road to diagnosis was a long one and required multiple doctors to take a look at her.
“Well, it was funny because I was standing at the kitchen sink, and I was standing on my left leg and had my right leg out, and I thought, ‘this is strange’,” she said.
“I went to the doctor and asked him about it, and it took a while to get diagnosed because the doctor didn't really understand what I was talking about.
“He sent me to a neurologist in Sheffield ... and she sent me to Melbourne to be diagnosed a second time, and then it was down there that I was diagnosed with Parkinson's.”
Despite the diagnosis, she was determined to continue on with her everyday life as normally as she could.
“When I first found out, I thought it wasn't too bad, but I was determined to not let it get on top of me, and I was determined to keep myself fit and active to try and fight it,” Mrs Branch said.
Jeannette Branch and husband Ronald Branch leading the way at last years local event.
Photo by
Aidan Briggs
This year will be the third time she will participate in A Walk in the Park.
She set a humble goal of only $500, but has raised $2,928 individually, while her team’s goal of $3,000 has now been achieved with a total of $3,443 raised so far.
The Walk in a Park event will be held at Federation Square in Melbourne on Sunday, April 27, and donations can still be made during and after the event.
If anyone would like to join Mrs Branch and her team for the event, they are welcome to register online or on the day.
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