“I know it’s not just me and Michael J. Fox,” Jennifer Reilly lamented. “I want the rest of us to meet.”

And an idea was born.

Diagnosed with Parkinson’s in her mid-forties, Jennifer has sometimes felt isolated. “I don’t often meet people my age with Parkinson’s. I want to find others at a similar stage of life who understand what living with Parkinson’s feels like. I know they’re out there, and I think it would be fun to form a group.”

Dr. Iyer connected her with a small team at Memory & Movement Charlotte and the rest is history-in-the-making. A group of active Parkinson’s patients gathered in mid-August to brainstorm how they might meet regularly to learn, socialize and support one another.

“I imagine activities, speakers, any range of topics – but it’s important to me that the form this group takes be determined by its members. I knew I could do this in partnership with MMC because the staff here really listen and care about every part of my life. I’d been talking about this for a while, and Dr. Iyer suggested that we do this together.” Jennifer smiles, “I hope this group will help others realize that Parkinson’s is an important aspect of life, but it’s not everything. And it doesn’t have to be lonely.”