IT is Parkinson’s Awareness Week and I would like to respond to the article printed in the Journal on March 16 headlined ‘Grieving man on a 481-mile mission’.

Gary Firth is doing a triathlon to help raise funds and awareness of Parkinson’s disease from which his late father suffered.

I was so sorry to read that Gary felt there was no support available for either his dad or their family.

I agree that it is a horrible, debilitating, chronic disease of which there is as yet no cure.

Medication given, which has not been improved on for 50 years, only masks the condition.

It doesn’t stop it or cure it but it does allow the sufferer to have a more reasonable existence than would be had without it.

Sadly the medication can also come with debilitating and unpleasant side-effects.

I can speak from personal experience of the condition as my husband was diagnosed in 2007 at the age of 52. He sadly passed away in December.

It wasn’t the Parkinson’s that actually killed him, but it was a contributing factor.

He had a stroke in 2009 and last year we discovered that he had a meningioma (brain tumour) which was showing on CT and MRI scans as far back as 2006.

Thankfully no-one needs to suffer from the effects of Parkinson’s disease alone.

The Wigan, Leigh and District Support Group of Parkinson’s UK has been available for information and support for the past four years.

We meet on the second Tuesday of the month at Standish Community Centre and on the fourth Wednesday of the month at Kingsleigh Community Centre in Leigh (opposite the bus station).

As volunteers we have tried our best to get the group known throughout the borough.

If I receive someone’s details I keep in touch by sending them a copy of our monthly newsletter, unless they tell me they no longer wish to receive it.

Sadly I am unaware of either Gary or his late father John.

It saddens me greatly to think that no matter how hard we are working to get the group known here is one family we have failed.

I would like to invite all sufferers, family and friends to get in touch, whether they want to come to our meetings or not, and to pass on the fact that we are here to help to others.

They can call me on 01942 730176, e-mail donagainjean17@ hotmail.co.uk, check out parkinsons.org.uk or call the national helpline number of 0808 800 0303.

In the meantime they are invited to join us at our coffee morning with the mayor and mayoress of Leigh at Kingsleigh Community Centre from 9.30am to noon next Saturday, April 22.

There will be craft and goods stalls as well as literature and information available from Parkinson’s UK.

Jean Donagain

Wigan, Leigh and District Support Group of Parkinson’s UK