News Photo by Darby Hinkley Judy Poli, left, has been living with Parkinson’s for 15 years, and Kathy Brown, right, cares for her husband, who has Parkinson’s. Poli and Brown head up the Alpena Parkinson’s Support Group, which meets on the third Monday of each month.

ALPENA — April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month, and Judy Poli and Kathy Brown are offering resources and support to those with Parkinson’s, as well as their caregivers.

The women co-facilitate the Alpena Parkinson’s Support Group, which meets at 1 p.m. on the third Monday of each month. The next meeting is from 1 to 3 p.m. on Monday at First United Methodist Church, 167 S. Ripley Boulevard, Alpena. The support group is affiliated with the Michigan Parkinson Foundation, which offers more than 70 support groups throughout the state.

Poli was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in April of 2010, and continues to participate and advocate for awareness and understanding of Parkinson’s, as well as offering support to others dealing with their own diagnosis, or helping a loved one who has been diagnosed.

“When I was diagnosed with it … it was very disheartening, but I went down to Toledo to Dr. Elmer, and he was a wonderful doctor,” Poli said.

She added that the initial diagnosis was a shock.

“It was devastating, because I didn’t know anything about it,” Poli said. “And that’s what we’re trying to do is make people aware of it. That is so important.”

Poli said her husband, Norm, has been very helpful and supportive of her on a daily basis, as every day has its own challenges.

“Every day is something different,” Poli said. “We don’t ever know what’s going to happen, and it can change so quickly. Your whole body can just freeze up, so that’s one of the hardest things.”

She said her sons and their families live here, too, and they are so supportive.

“It’s wonderful,” Poli said. “We’re so fortunate that our boys live here, all the grandkids, we’re all here. If the name’s P-O-L-I, we’re all related.”

Brown cares for her husband, Gary, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2012_. She is also a Michigan Parkinson Foundation mentor.

“Parkinson’s is a disease in which the dopamine is depleting from your brain,” Brown said.

Lack of dopamine can lead to depression or other mood disturbances, as well as impaired motor function.

Poli and Brown noted that the late Georgene Anderson helped cofound the Alpena Parkinson’s Support Group in 1986, along with her husband, Milton “Bud” Anderson. Georgene Anderson passed away on Sept. 5, 2024, and Bud Anderson preceded her in death on April 2, 2003. Bud Anderson was diagnosed with Parkinson’s and was seeking support and resources, so he and his wife started the group.

“The support group is just a great way, whenever you’re dealing with a chronic illness, that you’re not alone in the journey,” Brown said. “There’s someone else that truly understands what you’re going through. My husband had cancer, as well, and when we first went to a Friends Together support group, he had been talking about brain fog from his chemo treatments, and I understood what he was saying. I read up on it, we talked with the doctor, but when he mentioned that the support group, and other people who had experienced it, said ‘Oh yeah, I know exactly what you’re talking about.’ It’s just a different sense, like ‘I connect with you.'”

She said the group is helpful to those with Parkinson’s, as well as family members, loved ones, and caregivers.

“The support group is not only for people with Parkinson’s and their care partners, but also community that is interested,” Brown said. “It’s open to anyone that is interested in Parkinson’s, but mainly, the regular attendees are those that are on the journey.”

Poli added that the Parkinson’s group also offers exercises at 11 a.m. on Thursday at the First United Methodist Church, thanks to a grant.

“That’s something new they just started,” Poli said.

“Cristi Johnson from SkellaFit was certified through a very generous donation through the Kirk Gibson Foundation that the Michigan Parkinson Foundation received,” Brown said.

Johnson leads the exercise program with Wynne Tezak of Willow Tree Physical Therapy in Alpena.

Poli noted the importance of exercise for those with Parkinson’s.

“It can help all of us,” she said. “It’s very important to keep yourself moving constantly.”

“She’s been such a huge proponent, with the support group, about exercise and being active,” Brown said of Poli, who rode her bike regularly up until about two years ago.

Muscle loss, or sarcopenia, is common in those with Parkinson’s. It can result in impaired muscle function, which can increase the risk of falls.

“Exercise is beneficial for general health and can assist in managing both motor and non-motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease,” the Michigan Parkinson Foundation website states. “For those with Parkinson’s, exercise has been shown to: slow the progression of Parkinson’s; decrease pain; improve sleep, mood, and memory; prolong independent mobility; and boost activity that keeps brain cells healthy.”

Brown added that healthy eating can also help slow the progression of Parkinson’s.

For more information, call Poli at 989-370-6854, email judypoli9@gmail.com, or visit the group’s Facebook page: MPF — Alpena Parkinson’s Support Gathering.