Golden walks raised over €10k

Dolla couple praised for supporting Parkinson’s treatment

Denis and Betty Gleeson of Dolla would like to warmly thank everyone who supported their 50th wedding anniversary walks last summer.

Around 50 people trekked up Keeper Hill while an estimated 200 walked around a field beside the couple's Tullamoylan home on August 10. Coinciding with their golden wedding anniversary, Denis and Betty organised the two events that day as fundraisers for the new deep brain stimulation (DBS) programme at the Dublin Neurological Institute. A very impressive total of €10,720 was raised.

Betty attends the institute for ongoing treatment for Parkinson's Disease. She was diagnosed with the condition in her early 60s. She and Denis travelled to London in 2020 so that she could have the DBS operation, which proved successful, affording Betty a good degree of movement while reducing the amount of medication she needs to take.

She decided to raise both funds and awareness locally for DBS, which is now available in Dublin. The €10,720 will be used for a study on the impact of DBS on speech, and an educational fund to train nursing and medical staff that would like to attend DBS meetings or courses.

DOCTOR’S ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Betty became a patient of Dr Richard Walsh, a neurology consultant at the Mater Hospital, who praised the fundraising efforts of the Dolla couple.

“Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disease characterised by premature ageing of brain cells that produce dopamine, a brain messenger critical for normal movement,” Dr Walsh stated. “This condition is familiar to many because it is common and has characteristic features that are readily observed, including tremor and slowness of movement.

“Parkinson’s disease can be diagnosed early in life, but it is predominantly a condition diagnosed in people of retirement age or older, and this age group is growing in size as what was a large young proportion of the population slowly ages. It is estimated that approximately 10,000 people are currently living with Parkinson’s disease in Ireland and this number may double over the next two decades.

“Although we are currently unable to slow or reverse the loss of brain cells in Parkinson’s disease, we do have effective treatments that can offer effective relief of movement difficulty. Over time, the response to medications that replace lost dopamine can become erratic. This produces what can be roller coaster of difficulty with the ability to move swinging dramatically from normality to immobility from hour-to-hour.

“One approach to managing this is the placement of electrodes deep into the middle of the brain that are linked to a battery that is implanted under the skin of the chest do deliver stimulation that mimics the effect of medication continuously. We previously relied on the NHS in the UK to provide deep brain stimulation; however, it is now available in Dublin through a collaboration between Beaumont Hospital and the Mater Hospital.

“Currently, between 20 and 30 patients with Parkinson’s disease undergo this surgery each year in Ireland. This service is provided by a team of doctors, nurses and therapists who are supported by members of the public like local fundraisers Betty and Denis Gleeson, who recently raised a large sum of money to support research.

“Ongoing research projects explore the way in which we deliver electrical stimulation in Parkinson’s disease and potential side effects, work that is set to become all the more important as we begin to watch the steady rise in people affected by this condition in Ireland.”

AMAZING TURNOUT

Denis and Betty said they were amazed at the turnout on the day of their wedding anniversary. They were delighted to get one of the best days of the summer for it.

The two walks were organised in keeping with the Dolla couple's long love of hillwalking, wherein they supported many deserving causes with fundraising walks over the years. Those who climbed up Keeper were treated to a recital of Betty's poem 'Kinnagoe Bay' by Seán Butler. Cyril McLoughlin and Mike Roycroft also recited poetry at the top of Keeper.

Denis and Betty would like to thank them and also Donal Quinn, Helen Quinn, Pat Sheehan and Philip Talbot for guiding the hillwalkers. Thanks also to Maureen, Maura and Patricia for catering for the gathering back at Tullamoylan after the walk in the field. Further thanks to Padraig for co-ordinating the events on the day.

Denis and Betty said they remain very appreciative of all the goodwill and generosity they received on the occasion of their milestone anniversary. They are also glad that a greater awareness of DBS has been raised and hope that others may benefit from their support of the new research into the treatment.