Every Day is a Beautiful Sunrise

[additional-authors]

Lia Mandelbaum

March 25, 2013

I believe I have the most beautiful mother in the entire universe. Granted I’m biased, but the truth is that she is nothing short of being a beautiful soul in every way possible.

At this moment, I am sitting in a waiting room at Tampa General hospital while my mom is in surgery getting one of the batteries replaced to her brain pacemaker. At the age of thirty-nine, she was diagnosed with” target=”_blank”> Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS). DBS is a surgical treatment used to reduce the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, as well as other medical conditions such as major depression, chronic pain and various other movement disorders. The DBS hardware sends electrical impulses to specific parts of the brain.

” target=”_blank”>Medtronic, which is the company that produces various kinds of biotechnology, such as her DBS hardware. When she turns the device off, it is within seconds that her symptoms come back full force, and she is completely debilitated by severe tremors. When she turns it back on, it is incredible how she can just throw on her shoes and go running around the block. She jokes about being a bionic woman.

My mom is a graceful advocate and role model for the Parkinson’s community. Only two months following the first surgery, she ran in the 15K Gasparilla Distance Classic, which totals 9.3 miles. With her hands held high, she exuded tremendous joy as she crossed the finish line of her unlikely victory. One of her greatest passions had been competitive running, and her deep desire to run again was a major motivator to fight the disease. Her other motivators were her family, and the ability to wear high heels again (self-proclaimed shoe addict). A reporter heard about her story, and an article was written that made the front page (above the fold) of the Tampa Tribune. People with Parkinson’s from all over Florida contacted my mom, thanking her for giving them hope. My mom has taken lead roles in the production of major fundraising events for Parkinson’s research. She managed to bring keynote speakers on board such as Rasheeda Ali-Walsh, who is one of Muhammad Ali’s daughters, the American political commentator and journalist Morton M. Kondracke, and the former Los Angeles Times editor and reporter Joel Havemann. Just last year, she walked down the isle to receive her Masters diploma in marketing from the University of South Florida College of Business.