Elizabeth Penate talks about living with YOPD in El Salvador

2 Mikes Parkinson’s Podcast

Recording from Thursday night show at 6:00 EST on radioparkies.com: Show is in Spanish and translated to English Introduction by Gavin Mogan Elizabeth Penate, like me, was diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinson’s disease at 38 years old. Like me, she had two young children. That’s right about where the similarities end. I live in the United States. I have access to the best of treatment, any and all medication, and I’ve even had deep brain simulation surgery. I have community, support, family. Elizabeth lives in El Salvador. She has basic treatment, basic access to medication, and if she’s lucky she has basic access to a doctor. El Salvador is a low-income country. As an example, physicians there earn about the same as minimum wage workers in the US. Often, Parkinson’s is not even her biggest problem. So how does she get by? How does she do it so frequently with a smile and a laugh? Where does this hope come from? Elizabeth is looking out for more then just herself. She wants to change the way Parkinson’s is viewed and managed throughout the global Spanish-speaking community. Right now she’s working with a small group to make a big difference for countless lives now and into the future. Yes, she’s inspirational. But she wants to be more than that. She wants to be of service, of use. She shows us that we’re all connected throughout our community. Elizabeth is a window to a world many of us have not seen before, and many of us may not want to. But she also shows that her world is more than just pain, suffering, and hopelessness. There’s joy, love, and hope. Elizabeth embodies these qualities. She’s also strong and determined. If you want to get to know everyday, ordinary people doing extraordinary things in the Parkinson’s world, then tune in.