A Message from the President of the Board of Directors for AAPSG - Living with Parkinson's

My name is Corey King, and I’m fortunate to have just been elected president of the board of directors for the AAPSG. I’m very excited to be part of this organization, and to work with you all to help ease the burden and find the cure for Parkinson’s disease.

I’m a Texas native and I’ve lived in San Antonio for the last 16 years, following a 10-year career as an Air Force officer. My family has roots here in south Texas; both my children grew up and graduated from high school here, and my wife teaches in the public school system here. Although we’ve lived in many places as a former military family, we all call San Antonio home. I manage an engineering organization at a non-profit research and development institute on the west side of town (not the one with the monkeys, the other one), and I’m very pleased to have this opportunity to support the Parkinson’s community in south Texas. Our focus is on outreach, advocacy, education, fundraising, and enabling the many support groups in our region that serve people with PD and their care partners.

I also have a more immediate, personal reason for being involved – I was diagnosed with young-onset Parkinson’s disease about 18 months ago. I’ve experienced first-hand the disbelief, anger, fear, and confusion that a PD diagnosis can bring, and I’ve also experienced the sense of community and mutual support that AAPSG support groups can provide. I began attending the Young Onset Support Group shortly after being diagnosed, and the friends I’ve made through shared experience have made a significant difference in my life. AAPSG support groups are not only a source of information about this insidious and debilitating disease, but they help remind people with Parkinson’s and their families, friends, and loved ones that we are not alone in fighting back.

I hope to be able to share information with you through this blog about the triumphs and challenges of living with and managing Parkinson’s, and to help put a face on this disease. It’s my face, but also the face of a 24-year old mountain climber I met at a PD conference in Atlanta, an 89-year old great-grandmother who just wanted to know what her medications were for, a middle-aged business owner whose plans for the future are being radically altered by this unwelcome guest, and all the others of the more than 1.5 million people in the U.S. alone that fight this disease every day. As a chapter of the American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA), the AAPSG is giving people weapons for the fight, and working toward the day when Parkinson’s can be identified early, treated, and cured. I’m honored to be a part of this work.