Stanford and Brain Support Network co-hosted a virtual meeting on Wednesday, February 23, 2-3:30pm. with local journalist Dave Iverson. Dave is the producer of two Parkinson's-related documentaries, "My Father, My Brother and Me" (2009), and "Capturing Grace" (2015). He was also the host for many years of Michael J. Fox Foundation educational webinars on PD. (Many of you may remember Dave from his work with KQED and PBS.)
Dave talked about his memoir, set to be released in March 2022, "Winter Stars: An elderly mother, an aging son, and life’s final journey." Dave was diagnosed with PD in 2004 and was in the middle of making his first PD-related documentary when "he decided to do something he’d never imagined: he moved in with his 95-year-old mom Adelaide." His book is about his ten-year caregiving journey.
Dave's talk focused on the challenges of caregiving, which is a story he believes isn't told often enough. "Being a caregiver means you experience anger and joy, loss and love, usually when exhausted and often on the same day. But as he also writes, it’s a choice he’d make again."
Dave talked about his Parkinson's and how that affected his caregiving experience, sometimes in surprising ways. But his story is primarily about the choices, challenges and life lessons caregivers encounter.
Here's advance praise for Dave's memoir from Michael J. Fox: “Winter Stars is a gift — a modern classic of frontier literature documenting the uncertain journey into the country of caregiving. That Dave walked this path while himself living with neurological illness is remarkable, but his story will resonate with everyone who has grappled up close with a parent or loved one’s end of life.”
All royalties from the sale of Dave's book will be donated to Parkinson's or caregiving organizations. A special offer is available to attendees of the February 23rd webinar, or those in the Stanford caregiver support group, or those in the Brain Support Network support group. Please contact the leader of your local support group about that. (If you don't know who that is, then you probably don't qualify for this special offer.)
