By Steve Hubrecht
Sharon Crawford-MacKay's father used to walk across the room to avoid disabled people. That changed when he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.
Crawford-MacKay said her father had a terrible time adjusting.
"We live in a world where we like everything perfect," said Crawford-MacKay, and people with Parkinson's don't fit that image.
"We haven't adapted and dealt with (Parkinson's) like we should," she said.
Parkinson's is a neurological disease that results in loss of motor skills. Its exact cause isn't known, but symptoms include stiff muscles, restricted ability to move, balance problems and tremors.
Last Saturday, Crawford-MacKay, 62, joined participants and a handful of volunteer judges and organizers at the third-annual Spell the End of Parkinson's, a fundraising Scrabble tournament. The event was held at St. George Catholic Church on Commissioners Road.
The tournament brought in $8,267 in pledges from 26 participants.
Over the day each person played five games of Scrabble. Several of the Scrabble players had Parkinson's. Any challenges were settled by Will Nedriger, one of the volunteer judges.
Nedriger, 16, is the London Scrabble Club champion. After playing 15 games a week for the past couple of years he is very close to being rated as a National Scrabble Association expert.
Eileen Wood, 73, was diagnosed with Parkinson's four years ago. Sometimes she becomes so stiff that she has to crawl to get out of her bathtub. Wood loves to play Scrabble-even though she considers herself a novice-because it keeps her mind active.
Wood said the tournament is important not only for raising money, but also awareness. Other diseases, such as breast cancer, are more glamorous and Parkinson's doesn't get noticed, she said.
Dawn Porter, 58, another Scrabble player, has been diagnosed with Parkinson's for 10 years. She also thinks Parkinson's doesn't get as much attention as it should. "People don't know the scope of the disease," Porter said.
People with Parkinson's don't socialize because they're worried about what others will think, she said. Unlike those who stay isolated, Porter is determined to keep active socially.
"I'm not going to waste the good days worrying about what's going to come in the future," she said.
Crawford-MacKay, who is the director of the London Scrabble Club, has been playing competitive Scrabble for 10 years. She jumped at the opportunity to organize a Scrabble fundraising event when approached by the Parkinson Society of Canada.
Andre Motuzas, 36, the communication coordinator for the society, said there are too many walking or running events, so the Scrabble tournament is something different.
Motuzas was very pleased with the success of the event. "The community did a great job," he said.
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