A Documentary to Help Find a Cure for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease
10 Mountains 10 Years
There have been so many people in recent years who are suffering from Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s without a known cure. Families and friends of these sufferers also undergo a great deal of pain. Caretakers, many times, find it almost unbearable when it comes to the late stages of these diseases. At one time, it was thought that Alzheimer’s was a disease of the elderly. This is not true. Recently, people in their fifties and sixties have been known to get Alzheimer’s.
It is estimated that over 92 million people worldwide have a family member or more than one family member who are suffering from either Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s. Because of this, several interested people decided it was extremely important to do something about it. It became a dream, a dream in the hopes that it will soon come true.
What was the dream? It was a dream to create a feature documentary to allow more people to become aware of these two diseases. It was a hope that by becoming aware of how Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s can destroy a human life, money can be raised to help find a cure for these two diseases. The dream began to become stronger when the documentary, 10 Mountains 10 Years began to be created in the year 2006.
Enzo Simone, one of the cast members of this film, became interested in doing something in regards for a cure for Alzheimer’s after his grandmother and later his mother was diagnosed as having Alzheimer’s. His desire for finding a cure became extremely strong when his father-in-law became handicapped due to Parkinson’s. Simone felt so strongly about getting people to become aware of these two diseases, he decided to do something about it. He organized a group, known as “The Regulars.” Their goal was to climb 10 mountains in 10 years.
It was during this time when Simone met Jennifer Yee, principal owner in Back Light Productions LLC and film director. They got together with some of the mountain climbers to discuss the making of a film in the hopes of raising awareness of these diseases. The documentary, 10 Mountains 10 years features, Ken Glowienke, one of the cast members who has Parkinson’s. In this film, it demonstrates Deep Brain Stimulation, a breakthrough treatment for Parkinson’s. This film also follows select individuals battling these two diseases with their long term caregivers. The excitement in this film comes when the viewers will be captured by the international team of mountain climbers who will climb 10 of the greatest peaks in the world. This film focuses mainly on Mt. Kilimanjaro.
Although The Regulars are not professional mountain climbers, each climber felt so dedicated to letting people know how important it is to find a cure for these diseases, they were determined to take this plight!! They started this project in the year 2006. Their hope is to raise awareness and money to help fund research for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Simone started the first official climb on Mont Blanc in France in the year 2006.
In August, 2009, eleven members from The Regulars climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. Yee, producer of the film 10 Mountains 10 years, became so interested in this group that she climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro with them. some of the climbers took cameras and videos on their climb on this mountain.
James Brevard, one of the members of the Regulars, is the editor of this documentary. He took most of the cinematography. It was fascinating to look at the pictures of the gorgeous mountains overlooking the country. Pictures of the climbers were taken, and if you are an animal lover, (wild or tame) it was interesting to see the wild animals that Brevard and others took of this trip.
These climbers spent three days on Mt. Kilmanjaro. Including the days they spent climbing the mountain, the group spent three weeks in Tanzania.
Considering that they were not professional climbers, they were all very brave men and women.
The Regulars partnered with two charity groups; The Leeza Gibbons Memory Foundation and The Focus on a Care Foundation for Parkinson’s.
Leeza Gibbons became interested in Alzheimer’s when her mother became mentally handicapped from this disease. It was at this time when she became aware of caregivers and their need for help. Caregivers can get help by contacting Leezas Place at http://www.leezasplace.org/about.html At Leezas Place, caregivers can get support from a support group and there are activities for those who have Alzheimer’s.
It is hoped that through this documentary, which is expected to be premiered in 2010, and through The Regulars, enough money can be raised for research on a cure for these two diseases. It is also hoped that money can be raised for the Caregivers Program. To find out more, or to make contributions, contact Founder/Owner/Enzo Simone at 914-714-2018 or www.theregulars.org
Source: Backlight Productions, www.leezasplace,org, James Brevard, and The Regulars
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Hip Problems in Children
Just as adults can have hip pain, it may be surprising to some, that there are children who have been known to also have pain in the hips. This pain can involve the muscles and connective tissues of the hip, thigh, and buttocks. The difference between children and adults, however, is that when children have pain in these areas, their bones can be affected also, because they are still growing. When the bones are affected, it is important to see a doctor in order to avoid long-term problems.
It is advised by health professionals that if a parent sees his/her child or teenager walking with a limp, question the child about it. Also, If the child states that he or she is having pain, call a doctor about this situation. The following is a condition of the hip that can effect these young people:
Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease is a breakdown of the ball (femoral head) of the femur. To be more exact, this is the long thigh bone with something that feels like a ball that fits into the hip joint. You can feel this femoral head with your hands when you go to your own hips and search for it.
Loss of blood to the hip causes part of the femoral head to die and deteriorate. Symptoms of Legg-Calve-Perthes can be limping, pain in the groin area or inner thigh, knee pain, and the hip may also be stiff As common sense will tell us, this is the time to rest.
In a normal situation, as the child grows, the old bone in this area, is absorbed by the body, and new bone grows in its place. The hip socket provides a natural mold for the new bone to grow. On the other hand, if the femoral head is not held in proper position, the new bone may grow in too large, too flat, or in the wrong shape. This is what causes the hip problems.
In some cases, in this situation, a child with this problem may need to wear a cast or brace. There are other situations, where surgery may be necessary, in order to make certain the new bone on the femoral head grows properly. If only a small area is affected, or in children four years or younger, carefully watching it by a doctor may be all that is needed.
The deterioration of the ball of the femur caused by this disease usually heals completely, and the disease does not recur once healed.
Source: A Practical Guide to Everyday Health Decisions
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- Harriet
- I'm a substitute teacher. I like learning new things, I like meeting new people. I like traveling.