Who the heck are all these organizations?

There are many organizations associated with PD.  Here are the main ones in the US (many states and regions have their own organizations, too.)

APDA – “The American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA) is the largest grassroots network dedicated to finding Parkinson’s disease (PD) and works tirelessly to assist the more than 1 million Americans with PD live life to the fullest in the face of this chronic, neurological disorder.  Founded in 1961, APDA has raised and invested more than $170 million to provide outstanding patient services and educational programs, elevate public awareness about the disease, and support research designed to unlock the mysteries of PD and ultimately put an end to this disease.”  APDA has many local groups. https://www.apdaparkinson.org/

Parkinson’s Foundation – “The Parkinson’s Foundation makes life better for people with Parkinson’s disease by improving care and advancing research toward a cure. In everything we do, we build on the energy, experience and passion of our global Parkinson’s community.” The PF recently merged with Parkinson’s Disease Foundation.  The PF has great discussion forums and basic information. http://parkinson.org/ 

Davis Phinney Foundation –  “We help people with Parkinson’s live well today. We provide essential information, practical tools and inspiration to people living with Parkinson’s.  We fund early phase, innovative research that focuses on exercise, speech, movement and other factors that affect quality of life.  Founded by an athlete who has PD, this foundation focuses on helping PWP live well with PD. https://www.davisphinneyfoundation.org 

Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research – “The Michael J. Fox Foundation is dedicated to finding a cure for Parkinson’s disease through an aggressively funded research agenda and to ensuring the development of improved therapies for those living with Parkinson’s today.”  Besides an aggressive program of research funding, MJFF provides current information about PD and research, as well as information about clinical trials.   https://www.michaeljfox.org/ and https://foxtrialfinder.michaeljfox.org/

There are international Parkinson’s organizations, many of them.  One is:

World Parkinson Coalition - The World Parkinson Coalition "provides the only international forum on Parkinson's disease that invites all stakeholders to learn about the latest scientific discoveries, medical practices, and care initiatives that improve the lives of people living with Parkinson's disease. By bringing the full Parkinson's community together, including people living with Parkinson's, we hope to expedite the discovery of new treatments for this devastating disease until a cure is found." http://www.worldpdcoalition.org/ For a list of many international PD organizations, see http://www.worldpdcoalition.org/?page=Partners.  Some of these have discussion forums.

Most if not all have email newsletters with interesting information. 

Many PWP, caregivers, families, and friends are active with one or more of these organizations, some educating people about PD, some running and/or participating in support groups, some participating in fund-raising.  We all have different interests, abilities, and available energy. For now, be aware that there are many organizations out there who want to help.