Each step starts a conversation: Torquay man turns diagnosis into awareness

NOT even 12 months after his diagnosis, Darren Allan is leading the way for Parkinson’s awareness.

The Torquay local was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in September after noticing tremors and changes in his movement.

Facing the fear of the unknown, Darren decided to share his story and diagnosis with his community last month.

 

Darren’s wife Lee admitted sharing the news was daunting, but doing so through fundraising for Fight Parkinson’s felt like an easy choice.

“We kept it a little bit private before then, but it is just about raising that awareness,” Lee said.

“The hardest thing is there isn’t a cure yet, so we’re really passionate about raising that profile and raising those funds.”

The shock of the diagnosis was compounded by distance, with Lee overseas when Darren first received the news.

It took time to process and to resist thinking about what Darren’s future might look like.

 

“It’s frightening in terms of what the future holds; the realisation that Parkinson’s is there in our lives,” Lee said.

“When you first find out that news, it’s like you think so far ahead because you see Michael J. Fox and older people who have got to the point where it has really set in, and they’re unable to work or walk.

“You think that is your reality, but you’ve got to bring it back to just living in current day.”

The Allans have already found strong connections within the Geelong Parkinson’s community, including A Walk in the Park ambassador Sean Atkinson.

 

Bonding over a love of cycling, Sean has been a welcome support for Darren in understanding the condition.

That sense of shared experience was on show at Eastern Park on Sunday for Geelong’s A Walk in the Park.

While the weather wasn’t kind, about 250 people took part, up from around 200 last year.

The event brought the community together to raise about $13,500 for Fight Parkinson’s programs.

The Allans’ fundraising team, named Team Daz, contributed almost $6,000 of that total, with 30 people walking to support Darren on his journey.