PMDC outreach events boost support for movement disorders community
By Sean Gorman
People living with Huntington’s disease gathered at the Bon Air United Methodist Church on Sept. 21 for a full day of programming brought to them by the VCU Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders Center (PMDC) and partnering organizations.
There were sessions about mindfulness, therapy animals, chair yoga, the therapeutic power of music and self-care at that Huntington’s Disease Education Day event.
“It was very interactive, which was really cool,” says Bonnie Mahl, PMDC’s senior community engagement and outreach coordinator. “At the end of the day, everyone was able to share and learn from each other. That was awesome.”
The gathering was just one of the many efforts the PMDC undertook in the latter half of 2024 to boost support for those living with a wide range of movement disorders and their care providers.
In 2024, a series of educational events offered insights on living with Parkinson’s disease. These included a September seminar that PMDC Neuropsychologist Sarah Lageman, Ph.D., presented in Culpeper, Va., on how to manage the cognitive and mood symptoms of that disease. In October, PMDC Nurse Navigator Annie Coy, RN, delved into how to curb the costs of Parkinson’s medications at a Power Over Parkinson’s event held at Henrico’s Libbie Mill Library. And coming up on April 12, 2025, the PMDC will be holding its annual Parkinson’s Disease Education Day.
While programming for people with Parkinson’s and Huntington’s continues to be a crucial part of the PMDC’s mission, the center has also been working to expand support for people with other movement disorders like Multiple System Atrophy (MSA), Lewy body dementia (LBD), Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP), and dystonia.
“They’re all well-attended,” Mahl says. “We’re definitely furthering our reach into the community.”
In addition to holding its Multiple System Atrophy Education Day on Oct. 26, the PMDC helped organize seminars in July and August about managing MSA symptoms using physical therapy and other approaches.
In addition to organizing a full slate of educational events in 2024, the PMDC also increased the number of its support groups that bring a large variety of movement disorder patients together regularly to talk about their conditions and the issues they face in their daily lives.
Throughout 2024, the number of PMDC-led support group meetings more than doubled from 2023. Some of the meetings were virtual while others were held in person or through a hybrid of virtual and in-person meetings.
“Being able to talk with someone who can relate to you and your disease just adds so much more insight,” Mahl says. “You feel validated. People just need a space where they can be heard and be seen. Our support groups provide that.”