1 March 2012 Kay Mair - Parkinson's and Alison McLeod Induction

What do you know about Parkinsons? 

The challenge was laid down by visiting speaker Kay Mair to the regular Thursday meeting of the Rotary Club of Bridge of Allan and Dunblane.  Kay, a Parkinson's Nurse Specialist for Forth Valley Health Board, gave 31 members and 2 guests assembled in the Westlands Hotel, Dunblane all the details, from the first formal description of the condition in 1817 through to the risk factors that are now recognised.  The condition affects 1 in 500 of the population, and can best be described as the premature ageing of the basal ganglia in the brain, the area that controls motor skills.  Whilst there is no known current cure for Parkinson's, Kay went on to explain that there are a great many treatments that with proper application and timing can slow the impact of the disease, such that life expectancies of 20-25 years can be anticipated.  She also noted the very positive effects of exercise to sufferers who often struggle to deal with the physical and mental impact, with the disease having no effect on the senses or intellect of the individual.  After such a moving talk, a suitable vote of thanks was given by Rotarian Bill Philips.  Other activities on a busy night saw the induction of new member Alison McLeod, proposed by Mary Fraser, and the presentation of a cheque for £1000 to Mary's Meals from the proceeds of the Christmas Concert held in Dunblane Cathedral.  Receiving the cheque, David Johnston noted that it would help to feed 130 pupils in Malawi for a year as part of the wider Mary's Meals initiative that is currently providing a daily meal to 600,000 children worldwide.