My dad was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2001. This was two weeks after my mom was diagnosed with stage-4 breast cancer. Everything we thought about health shifted in sharp order. Today, mom & dad are both survivors and living their best with the challenges of chronic illness and aging. Dad and I have chronicled his story via the Boys of Summer documentary series. 

But long before my dad was challenged by Parkinson’s, it’s important to know he was a passionate runner – in fact, San Francisco’s infamous “Bay to Breakers” was his favorite race to run. And last year, with the help of a Hoyt running chair, I was able to push my dad through the epic ‘Bay to Breakers’ for the first time in over 20 years. 

And now, for a second race together - in January 2023, my dad and I are planning to race in the Walt Disney World Marathon with Team Fox. And for this upcoming marathon, you can come along with us by providing your contribution toward as a donation. Every dollar raised with our partner Drive Toward a Cure will go directly to Team Fox. 

Team Fox is the grassroots community fundraising program at The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF), and one of the organizations that Drive Toward a Cure has been supporting since 2017. MJFF accelerates high-impact science through smart risk taking and problem solving with a commitment to urgency and efficiency. I’m one of thousands of people around the globe who are turning their passions into Team Fox fundraisers to help them speed a cure for Parkinson’s. When you give today, 100 percent of Team Fox proceeds go straight to MJFF’s programmatic efforts.

Everyone can help end Parkinson’s disease.

An estimated five million people worldwide live with Parkinson's today. It is the second most common neurological disorder. In the United States, approximately 60,000 new cases will be diagnosed this year alone. There is no known cure.

Together, we can change this.

My interest for this goes deeper. I am completing my PhD (Interdisciplinary Health Sciences) in December 2022. My dissertation focuses on the ability of improvisation and storytelling to improve quality of life measures for people with and affected by Parkinson's disease. More on those programs, and the research surrounding them, can be found at www.yesandexercise.com. 

Thank you for being part of this team!

With gratitude – Robert and Dan Cochrane