Young Onset Parkinson's Disease and Adam

Adam, Debs, and their 4 year old son Freddie live in Belfast, Ireland. We initially met Adam on Instagram, where so many of us have found a worldwide supportive community of people who've been diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinson's Disease. Our unofficial community has been a vital part of coping with the disease and Adam stands out for his raw honesty, tireless encouragement and compassionate support.

YOPD is defined as Parkinson’s that is diagnosed before the age of 50 and includes about 10% of people living with PD. Younger people will experience the disease differently than those who are diagnosed older, in part due to their different life circumstances. Employment, new relationships, and parenthood add particular challenges that those who are diagnosed older may not have to navigate. It is incurable.

Adam was born (a surprise baby to his then mid-40s parents) and raised in Liverpool, England. He was very comfortable living near his parents and siblings in his hometown. Then he fell in love! While they were dating, Debs, in a short amount of time, lost her Dad, Grandfather, and Grandmother and wanted to move back to Ireland, where she's from. Adam eventually pulled up stakes, and moved to Ireland to be with her and started a successful carpet cleaning business as they wanted to start a family. Their adorable son Freddie was born in 2020 and everything seemed to be going to plan.

But after developing a slight tremor and feeling very stiff for months, Adam was hit with the diagnosis of Young Onset Parkinson's, an incurable neurodegenerative disease and Freddie was diagnosed with Autism shortly afterwards.

YOPD is, like most chronic illness, exhausting on a daily basis. There's medicine, but the side affects can be just as harmful as the disease itself. Exercise helps, and Adam quickly built a make-shift gym in his garage to help him combat the debilitating physical and mental fatigue. He even created a separate Instagram account called @ac2fb, another chance to fight back in order to encourage others to keep exercising and fighting to stay afloat.

But YOPD has 40 or more motor and non-motor symptoms and the severity of each widely varies by individual. Adam struggles with the well documented non-motor symptoms of anxiety, depression and apathy along with the physical symptoms, and Adam's job is extremely physically taxing.

We've seen Adam struggling, we've seen Adam fighting. He epitomizes what we call a Parkinson's Warrior, he fights so hard. He had a hard time accepting this effort to help him, as he knows so many others are suffering. But his business has been affected; he and Debs are struggling to pay their bills.

Our goal is to raise 15,000 which is the full amount of his business loans and debt. Adam lifts our spirits everyday, and we want to lift this burden for him in return. Please donate, not just for Adam and his family, but in solidarity with all who suffer from demoralizing chronic illnesses.

Thank you so much for considering supporting him. Please feel free to follow Adam on Instagram @adamjlocke35 for his story in his words and to witness his journey.

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