1/1/2020……. I lost my mother, Sharon, due to Parkinson’s disease. I wanted to share my thoughts and ideas on tough topics in caregiving and send thoughts and prayers for others diagnosed and caregivers, so this BLOG was created in their memories.
The Tackling Tough Topics BLOG 14: Genetics- A Potential Parkinson’s Diagnosis When It Runs in Your Family.
This blog is dedicated to all caregivers & caretakers who care for a loved one with any disease and to those who have been diagnosed. We hear you; we see you, and we will never stop fighting until there is a cure!
Research cannot determine with one hundred percent certainty that Parkinson’s disease is genetic. However, I am concerned because my mother was diagnosed with Pd.
She was young, in my view, to pass at age 69 after a 15-year battle, which was heartbreaking. She and our family lost on 1/1/2020, which continues to haunt me daily.
I was holding her hand and there 24/7 by her side as I saw my best friend and mother go in the final four years from a vibrant and independent woman to Pd, accelerating and progressing so quickly in a short time that I am still in shock today and confused as to what happened and why.
I am 47 today, but I am not sure if it is paranoia or truth as I have been faculty an array of my known medical issues that many in the medical community haven’t been able to resolve or even understand the causes from. So, this February 2025, I will be going for a DAT scan to obtain further information on my health.
Dopamine Transporter (DaT) Scan for Parkinson’s Disease
According to Cedars-Sina (2025), a DaTscan is a nuclear medicine imaging test used to help diagnose Parkinson’s disease. It measures the activity of dopamine transporters in the brain. Moreover, in people with Parkinson’s disease, the activity of dopamine transporters in certain areas of the brain is reduced. This results in a decreased uptake of tracer on the scan.
A small amount of radioactive tracer is injected into the bloodstream. The tracer binds to dopamine transporters in the brain. A scanner takes pictures of the brain, showing the distribution of tracer and, therefore, the activity of dopamine transporters.
I have had facial nerve pulsating for months, and my right arm and hand are stiff, and something is not correct. In my own opinion, it is stress and stems from being a workaholic, which is another issue for another time. If this is true, that is fine, but what concerns me even more is that PD runs in my family now.
What would this mean? Not much in reality, but it will change my life in regard to my health; I will continue to advocate no matter what for a Pd cure in memory of my mother, Sharon, and all those battling Pd for the day but also for my children and all of our future kids throughout the world. We must find a cure and end this disease for future generations.
I write this in wonder and concern; it is the strength of any I can put together. I know exactly what and how PD can do to someone. I don’t know who, where, when, and why, which is the most challenging part.
According to John Hopkins Medicine (2024), “about 15 percent of people with Parkinson’s disease have a family history of the condition, and family-linked cases can result from genetic mutations in a group of genes — LRRK2, PARK2, PARK7, PINK1 or the SNCA gene.” Furthermore … the interaction between genetic changes, or mutations, and an individual’s risk of developing the disease is not fully understood, says Ted Dawson, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Institute for Cell Engineering (John Hopkins Medicine, 2024). So much is still unknown in researching PD and understanding how mutations in these genes cause Parkinson’s disease.
I pray my future author title does not include “Caregiver to Advocate to Patient,” but we cannot determine the future, cannot stop fighting, and cannot predict what is next to come.
Again, no matter what the outcome, I will NEVER stop fighting for a cure.
Reference
Cedars-Sina (2025). DaTScan. Retrieved from https://www.cedars-sinai.org/programs/imaging-center/exams/nuclear-medicine/datscan.html#:~:text=Although%20DaTscan%20cannot%20determine%20which,tremor%2C%20which%20may%20mimic%20a
John Hopkins Medicine (2024) The Genetic Link to Parkinson’s Disease. Retrieved from https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/parkinsons-disease/the-genetic-link-to-parkinsons-disease#:~:text=How%20direct%20is%20the%20link,SNCA%20gene%20(see%20below).
——————————————-
George’s Biography
Dr. George Ackerman is from Brooklyn, N.Y. He now resides in Florida and works in the fields of law, police, and education. George lost his mother, Sharon Riff Ackerman, on 1/1/2020 due to Parkinson’s Disease.
George wanted to honor his mother and continue to help in the Parkinson’s awareness cause, but he did not know how to bring about change. With my family, we started TogetherForSharon® to keep my mother, Sharon Riff Ackerman, ‘s memory alive and share the message of Parkinson’s Awareness and hope for a cure.
Today, https://www.togetherforsharon.com/ reaches thousands of individuals across the country to raise awareness of Parkinson’s disease. George currently interviews individuals throughout the Parkinson’s community, including various foundations, caregivers, and Parkinson’s warriors, to help share their stories and causes.