‘You have a voice, you need to be heard’: Parkinson’s therapy hub opens

by John Leach

Federal Member for Fisher Andrew Wallace has officially opened the newly renovated Restoring Hope Parkinson’s Therapy community hub at Buddina, praising the volunteers, tradespeople and supporters who helped transform the building.

More than 150 people attended the opening on Sunday afternoon, including patients, families, therapists, volunteers and community supporters, to celebrate the completion of the first stage of the project.

Mr Wallace said he had visited the building about 12 to 18 months earlier, when it was clear that considerable work would be needed. A builder by trade, he recalled being asked what could be achieved with an initial budget of about $50,000. “I said, ‘That’s not going to cut the mustard’,” he told the gathering.

Despite the scale of the task, the Restoring Hope board worked with tradespeople, volunteers, staff and therapy-group participants to renovate the premises and establish a permanent base for its programs.

Mr Wallace invited the volunteers and tradespeople involved in the project to stand and be recognised, before the gathering thanked them with a round of applause.

A highlight of the opening was a presentation by Arthur Dugdale, who is living with Parkinson’s and demonstrated the improvement he has achieved through speech therapy.

Mr Wallace praised Mr Dugdale’s performance and said it showed the practical difference therapy and continued practice could make. Mr Wallace said hope involved more than simply wishing for something to happen. He said it required an aspiration, a plan or goal, and a willingness to work hard to achieve it. “With those three things, people are able to do amazing things at a centre like this,” he said.

Restoring Hope Parkinson’s Therapy was established to help people living with Parkinson’s maintain their ability to communicate and swallow safely.

The organisation says about 90 per cent of people with Parkinson’s experience difficulties with speech, voice or swallowing. Those difficulties can affect confidence, independence, relationships and a person’s ability to participate fully in family and community life.

Speech pathologist Louise Williams said the motivation behind the charity came from witnessing the difference that therapy and connection could make.

The organisation’s early supporters became known as the “Amigos” and included Peter Stidolph, Kevin McAney, Scott Grimley and later Steven Edwards.

Mr Stidolph sought help after becoming frustrated while trying to make a telephone call. His family and friends had noticed a deterioration in his speech and he eventually realised he needed therapy.

The Amigos had experienced firsthand the effects of Parkinson’s and worked together to further the purpose and mission of Restoring Hope. The charity provides intensive speech therapy programs as well as ongoing maintenance group therapy without charge.

One participant described how communication difficulties had caused him to stop answering the telephone, withdraw from social activities and give up community leadership roles.

Following therapy, his speech became clearer, his swallowing improved and he again had the confidence to read to his grandchildren and communicate with others.

His message to other people living with Parkinson’s was: “You have a voice, and you need to be heard.”

Mr Wallace said the hub would provide important support not only for people with Parkinson’s, but also for their families and carers. He said the Sunshine Coast remained a “community of communities”, despite its rapid population growth. “We haven’t lost that special personal touch,” he said. “We haven’t lost that willingness to give up your time as a volunteer.”

Mr Wallace said organisations such as Restoring Hope helped make the Sunshine Coast a special place to live by changing people’s lives for the better.

He thanked everyone who had brought the project to its present stage and those who would continue its work in the years ahead.

The renovated hub is located at 50 Iluka Avenue, Buddina, and will provide a permanent home for therapy, education, support and connection for people living with Parkinson’s.

Above: Speech Pathologists for Restoring Hope Parkinson’s Therapy, from left, Karen Malcolm, Cathy Shapter, Louise Williams, Sue Fanello (recently retired) and Ainslie Frost.