Denim & Diamonds: A Parkinson's Event

It is no secret that Parkinson's is a disease that is near and dear to my heart. My papa Collins was diagnosed with this crippling illness before I was even born. He was barely 50 years old when he realized what was giving him the tremors on one side of his body. For many years, he lived a normal life with little to no symptoms. But the latter part of his life was robbed by Parkinson's. I watched my papa deteriorate before my eyes for the last decade or more of his life.

There is no cure for Parkinson's. There is no rhyme or reason thus far of how/why people get it. My family has spent a great deal of time, money, & energy into learning about the disease as well as helping others to understand it, get treatment, and hopefully one day cure it. The Bill Collins Parkinson's Center is one of the biggest ways my family has tried to overcome this disease. People come from all over the tri-state area to receive treatment here, and it is making a difference in the lives of many.

But what most people don't realize is that this disease affects more than the person who has it. It affects his/her spouse, children, grandchildren, friends, etc. The Parkinsons Support Center of Kentuckiana was designed to help those surrounding a Parkinson's victim to understand the disease and feel part of a greater community.

This year my mom co-chaired their annual fundraiser Denim & Diamonds. I was so excited to be able to attend the 7th annual event to see my mom's hard work in action as well as support a great cause.

Truly a great night of learning more about Parkinson's, participating in a live auction, bourbon tasting, gourmet country food, and dancing the night away! Great job Mom!!

Snapshots on a Saturday: A Sporty Week

This past week was filled with lots of tennis and swim. Adelaide had her first swim babies class at Saw Mill plus lots of bath time fun. She certainly does love the water...

We also attended several tennis events. The first was Play for Parkinsons, a cause near & dear to my heart. I played tennis in a round robin format while Ryan mingled & munched on delicious food. We both enjoyed a few adult bevvies (champagne & beer) as we browsed the magnificent auction items. I ended up being the female champion winning a great goodie bag. The event raised $25,000+ that will go directly to Team Fox in hopes of finding a cure for Parkinsons. My friend Barbara & her husband Victor put on an amazing event, and we look forward to participating next year!

The BNP Paribas Showdown came to Madison Square Garden Monday night, and I was so excited when Megan from the New Haven Open informed me that she had extra tickets at our meeting and did we want them. Yes! Adelaide's first tennis event, of course!! We met Ryan in the city and headed over to the Square. They have some great food and beverages that we enjoyed while watching Azarenka & Serena. Our seats were amazing, just behind the baseline. Nothing more fun than a surprise family date :)

And through all the excitement of the week, we found a tuckered out little baby sound asleep in her crib each night...

Hope your week was just as blessed!!