Nelson has been a volunteer with the Headwaters Health Care Auxiliary for 14 years and enjoys the personal connections he makes with patients or their families.
He said they often confide in him because they see he is approachable and is a good listener.
Honest and forthright, his goal in hosting a couple of education sessions at the hospital was to share more about his experience with hospital staff in the hopes that others would be better able to appreciate the invisible and more apparent challenges of others. I’m in an “ongoing state of war,” with Parkinson’s, he said.
His teaching career was cut short because of a diagnosis of early onset Parkinson’s. What began as a tingling finger, grew to more serious side effects and he was forced to retire early. He shares Parkinson’s Disease with over 100,000 other Canadians.
He’s been learning to live fully with Parkinson’s for nearly two decades.
“I would say I’m here because of determination, resolve, stubbornness and a lot of help from others,” he said.
He is a former Olympic and Power Lifter, continued to set provincial records long after his initial diagnosis.
Determined to continue pushing boundaries, Nelson is training for powerlifting meets this summer. He’s had to adjust his technique as it’s getting more difficult to control his body as the disease progresses.
Nelson learned how to play the harmonica when he was 17 and several years ago, he was encouraged to start performing at the age of 50.
He’s written two books chronicling his life with Parkinson’s – Shaking Hands and Beyond Shaking Hands and has fundraised over $6 thousand for Parkinson’s Research last year.
Between volunteering at the hospital, training, powerlifting, playing gigs with his harmonica and speaking to support groups across Ontario, Nelson’s life is full.