Morning all, hope you've had a nice Christmas break. We're now back in the office and looking forward to 2014.
We've also got some very sad news - Dr Jonathan Stevens, a prolific Parkinson's blogger and passionate Parkinson's UK supporter, passed away suddenly on 27 December, aged just 34.
Jonny frequently shared his blogs on our social media channels and was an active member of this forum. Our thoughts are with his family at this very difficult time.
"Therefore, what do we truly lose when we die? We lose the ability to do one more thing. No matter if the next thing you do is to buy a diamond ring or buy an onion ring what is valuable is the act of doing."
Dr. J Stevens
Dear Johnny
I hope you know your blogs were and are your amazing gift to us all. Did you sometimes think no response meant we weren't listening, no on cared about what you were saying. I want to and do believe otherwise. So sad you will not be around to give us yet one more of your thoughtful reflections. So very sad. Rest peacefully.
So sorry to hear about the passing of Dr Jonathan Stevens. I read his blog daily whilst coming to terms with my own diagnosis, and appreciated his personal insights.
He recently shared his photography and drawing blogs with us. You can see them at:
“We should recognise that we live in a series of “nows”, and such insight provides the best opportunity to gain control. The past has gone and the future is currently non-existent. Trying to reach into the past or leap into the future makes the present even more difficult. Living in the present recognises our ability to act and react now to the situation we currently find ourselves in.”
Yes, I think reading dr jonny - and quoting him - might be a good tribute. I especially like a recent blog, http://dialoguewithdisability.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/im-going-to-be-severely-disabled.html. Typical of jonny it doesn't tell you what to do, but it does frame the questions you'd need to ask to decide for yourself what to do. (And yes, it's about now-ness.)
I crossed swords with Dr, Jonny a few times on the previous forum as I disagreed with some of his ideas and thoughts/musings, in his posts, so much so that I was contacted by Admin. and received a mild slap on the wrists for my forthrightness in my replies to him.............more than once!
However, he gave as good as he got and for that I always appreciated his guts in dealing with his diagnosis and laying open, for all to see, his take on his situation. Not always what some may have wanted to know but he was honest in his evaluation of the impact of Parkinsons on his life.
It is indeed very sad news and I extend my condolences to his family and friends at this sad time. A life cut far too short.
I am sad to hear that Dr Jonny is gone. He was a thoughtful and thought provoking blogger and forum participant. He was also a passionate supporter of research and his academic background made his comments on research developments particularly interesting.
I can't believe it, I'm shocked - he was so young. I think it is terrible when people of his age get PD (it's no fun at my age but at least I've had a life) but this is something else. My thoughts are with his family and his passing is a loss to us all.
