Parkinson's Disease, My Father and Muhammad Ali
Two Champs With Parkinson’s Disease Before the Age of 50 One CHAMP I’m referring to is the one and only Muhammad Ali, one of the most recognizable men in history, and the other champ I'm referring to (which many may think I am crazy to even associate them together) but he was my true hero and that is my dad. My dad was born in 1941 and Ali born in 1942, both of which were diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease before the age of 50. The average age of Parkinson’s Disease is 62 and only 5 – 10% are diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease before the age of 50. My dad died in 2011 at the age of 70 and Ali, just recently in 2016 at the age of 74. Ali was not just about boxing; my dad was not just about his successful career – both were battling a disease that inspired many of us. They both had incomparable work ethics; they were both confident, dedicated, altruistic, well-respected by so many, and were both very family oriented men. Ali inspired millions, ...