Dear 11-year old Michael Cheung,
Looking 19 years into the future since our father was first diagnosed with early onset Parkinson’s disease at the age of 45, it’s hard to put into words what this journey has been like so far.
What started as a selfish thought from a teenager wanting a father who wasn’t different than the others during your high school years, will eventually transform into a realization of the sacrifices your parents made to hide all of the struggles they went through to provide you with as normal of a childhood as possible. They were simply doing the best they could given the circumstances.
I didn’t understand it then, comparing myself to other people with dads they saw as successful role models, and wondering why I didn’t have that myself. Turns out I couldn’t be further away from the truth. The resiliency, toughness, courage, and strength our parents have shown in the past 19 years is simply remarkable. Mom and Dad will be the two best role models you could have ever asked for, just not in the typical way you often see in fairytale movies and stories.
You will spend many nights crying in fear of what the future holds, but it will also motivate you to stop feeling sorry for yourself and raise funds and awareness in hopes that it will help better the lives of others.
Nothing you ever end up doing in life will be more important than this.
In the quest to raise funds and awareness, you will hesitate to tell your story, fearing how your friends will react. It will end up taking until the age of 26, which is laughable considering your friends overwhelm you with more support than ever imaginable. Unfortunately, it turns out almost everyone you know has a similar story of heartbreak, and can relate in ways that will make you feel much less lonely than being an only child growing up hiding this 'secret'.
Writing this letter today, I have no idea what the future holds. Even though science says that the odds may be against us, we will continue to make the most out of every situation and try to turn this unfortunate break into the biggest blessing of our life.
While I certainly wouldn’t wish for anyone to be diagnosed with Parkinson’s, the perspective of gratitude, empathy, family, and toughness I have developed through this experience are things that have helped me tremendously and have become my unfair advantage.
Cherish every moment you have with your parents, and understand that regardless of what happens going forward, they will always do their best to care and provide for you.
When you eventually come to that realization, you will end up spending the rest of your life trying to pay them back.
With that, you learn the most beautiful lesson in all of this, and the one that has kept your family together throughout all of the challenges/difficulties to date.
Love.
It truly does conquer all, including Parkinson’s disease. #BeatParky
Sincerely,
30-year old Michael Cheung