Help Andrew take back control from Parkinson’s!

Aim: Let’s get Andrew back to being a Mover and not a Shaker through Deep Brain Stimulation Surgery

Back in 2017, my father Andrew Solomon, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. It isn’t rare by any means, but suddenly we were grappling with a condition that has no cure and our future suddenly became very uncertain and so different from how we had once imagined it. 

My mother, Inez, became his carer, however, in 2019 we started noticing changes in my mum also.I’ll spare you some of the heartache and fast-forward to 2022, when Inez was officially diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. As the neurologist walked into the room to tell us the news, she said quietly to my father – ‘You’re the carer now’. 

Dad, who increasingly needed care himself, now had to take on the role of carer for his wife.

I returned home in 2022 after completing my degree and officially took on the responsibility of looking after both Mum and Dad. By January 2024, however, supporting my parents at home was like herding cats, and it had become completely unsustainable.

Mum, now requiring constant stimulation and observation, is very active but often confused about her surroundings. Dad, however, is frequently immobilised by his Parkinson’s, with his symptoms significantly worsened by the stress of Mum’s diagnosis and her new behaviours. On top of this, his daily medication and meal schedule becomes chaotic unless I hide his pills and micro-manage it. At least twice day his physical or mental stress cause him long and profound ‘OFF’ periods leaving him unable move from his bed in a darkened room. He regularly misses family and social events as a result. 

Before he had Parkinson’s, Andrew had the energy and athleticism in his 60s of someone much younger. People who guessed his age regularly chose mid-40s rather than the early 60s he actually was. His interests included skiing and singing, and he threw himself into both activities with a passion. Not being able to enjoy these hobbies in retirement was a blow, but the real concern was dad’s reducing physical ability to support mum as they both need ever increasing (and contrasting) care. 

We knew the best option for my mother was for her to receive care in her home town in Brazil. With her language abilities set to decline due to her Alzheimer’s, it would be ideal for her to be surrounded by her many siblings and friends there. But what about Dad? Well, after over 30 years of marriage they are closer than ever, and he wants to stay with his wife, no matter where she is. Each of them think they are the carer for the other one. And so in September 2024, he successfully obtained his Brazilian residency!

Both UK and Brazilian neurologists recommended my father as a good candidate for DBS. But the NHS delayed putting him forward for DBS pre-tests until just after he turned 70, which is the cut-off date for eligibility.

DBS is a surgical operation that installs two diodes in the brain, which are attached by two sub-cutaneous wires to a configuration unit in the chest, similar to an ECG heart monitor. It is a procedure that has successfully treated well over 100,000 Parkinson’s patients worldwide. DBS will significantly reduce the motor symptoms of my father’s Parkinson’s, such as tremors, slowness of movement, rigidity, and dyskinesia, while also reducing the “off” periods that dominate his daily life.

This isn’t just vital for Dad’s quality of life—it also increases his ability to care for Mum, who depends on him and who needs him, for as long as possible. 

Since moving to Brazil and working with a Parkinson’s specialist - who established clear guidelines for Dad’s medication and meal schedules, prescribed physical therapy and psychotherapy - it was confirmed that Dad will respond excellently to DBS and can have it done in Brazil. However, he needs to do it imminently. We have amazingly been offered a new technology that uses AI to read brain activity in real-time at a heavily reduced cost. As well as treating dad, this particular equipment can also help provide information to help understand Parkinson’s which could improve future treatment for anybody diagnosed with Parkinson’s in the future.

Now Mum and Dad have been living in Brazil since August 2024 and both of them have transformed! Just see the pictures below! Here is a 3 month before and after picture of Andrew in the doctor’s office when he arrived in Brazil (right) vs 3 months later (left).

Call it the sunshine, call it the culture, call it the amazing carers who are looking after them over in Brazil… Mum and Dad are so positive about the DBS that will transform Dad’s health and renew their capability – and so am I!

DBS is very expensive and will take up a huge proportion of their retirement funds. Life presents challenges, but now we hope to create long lasting positive changes for our family and for the future of treatment for Parkinson’s Disease!

What you would be helping us cover the cost of:

Pre-operation psychology examination : R$ 1.700,00 (£235)

Neurosurgeon consultation : R$600,00 (£82)

Surgery, Hospital and Equiptment: R$ 408.217,00 (£53,500)

Total costs: R$410.516,00 (£53,767)

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 10th August 2025 at 11:59pm