Huntsville, AL – Carol Meenen of Gurley has a busy schedule, flights to Washington, D.C., and Las Vegas, and driving to Tampa. While that may not seem like a big deal to some, for the 64-year-old Meenen, it can be overwhelming and exhausting.
Meenen has Parkinson's disease, but she refuses to let the neurological condition prevent her from doing things she enjoys such as traveling.
She really enjoys travel when it helps a cause.
Meenen went to Washington in February to lobby the Alabama congressional representatives for more money to fund research to find a cure for Parkinson's disease. Although she didn't get to personally meet any of the Alabama representatives, she and several others from the state, including Linda Weaver of Guntersville, did meet with their aides and assistants.
The Alabama delegation joined some 250 other Parkinson's disease advocates from around the nation in Washington, where they not only lobbied for more funding, but attended training sessions and learned about new medicines for people with Parkinson's disease.
The Parkinson's Action Network recently named Meenen the national liaison for people recently diagnosed with Parkinson's. She will be taking e-mails and calls from newly diagnosed patients and will serve as a referral service.
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Information from: The Huntsville Times, http://www.al.com/hsvtimes/hsv.html
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)