Most Americans received their first solid view of Parkinson’s disease when Muhammad Ali, the greatest boxer that ever was, went to the podium during the 1996 Atlanta Olympics to receive a replacement gold medal for the one he no longer possessed. This great athlete was not dancing about in the ring with feet so fast that few opponents could match; he was shaking, moving slow, with stiffness and imbalance ” all part of what attacks those with the debilitating and incurable disease.
“Parkinson’s disease is a chronic, progressive, neurological disorder that results from the degeneration of brain cells in the region of the brain that controls movement,” said Dr. Richard Lane, treasurer and board member of the Parkinson’s Disease Association of San Diego (PDASD). “The degeneration creates a shortage of the chemical dopamine, causing movement impairment. Parkinson’s is a strange disease ” unlike many diseases, it is relentlessly progressive.”
William S. Cowling, Dixieline Lumber chairman and La Jolla resident, also suffers the ravages of Parkinson’s disease. He recently made a substantial donation to the PDASD.
“When I learned that I had Parkinson’s disease, I decided that the one thing they need is money for research because they are not going to solve it by walking up and down the street,” Cowling said. “Having contracted it brought my focus down and I decided that it was a cause that I believed in and could help with.”
Helped he has, to the tune of $550,000, which will be used to fund a new Parkinson’s disease education center at Scripps Clinic. He also contributed $300,000 to support the work of Dr. Shirley Otis, clinical director of the Brain Research and Treatment Center at the clinic.
“I would certainly encourage others to contribute to the association ” the more the merrier,” Cowling said “My father used to say to me that if you don’t contribute to society more than you extract from it, then you are a failure. I heard that so many times, and it was one of the reasons that I got on board and wanted to help and do all that I could.”
The words of wisdom came from W.S. Cowling senior, who founded Dixieline Lumber in 1913. Today the company continues to thrive and offers 45,000 items to its customers in Southern California, Arizona and Nevada.
The William S. Cowling II Parkinson’s Resource Center will reach out to serve the more than 15,000 local people who have the disease. Education, information and a spotlight on the horizon of hope in terms of treatment are among the center’s offerings.
“There seems to be more focus on it and so people are now accepting the disease and surfacing and saying, ‘I have it’,” Cowling said. “The more you know about the disease, the more you know that there is a chance for something to happen; understanding it makes the difference and presents opportunity for progress.”
For information see www.pdasd.org.