#488 Firefighters with Parkinson’s: The Diagnosis No One Sees Coming

Today is about what happens when the job we love meets a diagnosis that can change everything.I am joined by Dawn Harding, a retired Chief Fire Officer, alongside Steve Norman, former Deputy Assistant Commissioner with London Fire Brigade and now working with the National Fire Chiefs Council, and David Little, a former MOD firefighter and on call Watch Manager.Together, they are part of the Firefighter Parkinson’s Support Group, a newly established group created to support firefighters, retired firefighters and their families who are affected by Parkinson’s.Parkinson’s is a progressive neurological condition. It affects movement, balance, sleep, mood, confidence, family life, work, identity and so much more. It has no cure, and for many people the early signs are not always obvious. Stiffness, fatigue, frozen shoulder, sleep issues, gut problems or changes in movement can appear long before the symptoms people typically associate with Parkinson’s.Useful linksParkinson’s UKhttps://www.parkinsons.org.uk/Movers and Shakershttps://www.moversandshakerspodcast.com/Spotlight YOPDhttps://spotlightyopd.org/Cure Parkinson’shttps://cureparkinsons.org.uk/The Michael J Fox Foundationhttps://www.michaeljfox.org/The Neurological Alliancehttps://www.neural.org.uk/Guest contact - David [email protected] support the podcast and its future by clicking HERE and joining our Patreon CrewPodcast Apparel, Hoodies, Flags, Mugs HERE Please check out our Partners supporting this episode:William Wood Watches - Discount code FFPODCAST gives the user 10% off full range on websitePBI high-performance fabrics FIRST TACTICAL- tactical gear for elite operatorsGORE-TEX Professional ClothingMSA The Safety CompanyJAFCOIDEXFIRE & EVACUATION SERVICE LTD Send us Fan MailSupport the show***The views expressed in this episode are those of the individual speakers. Our partners are not responsible for the content of this episode and does not warrant its accuracy or completeness.***Please support the podcast and its future by clicking HERE and joining our Patreon Crew