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ALI JOINS FIGHT

She is a fighter—just like her father. While you may not find her in the ring with her boxing gloves on, Rasheda Ali, author, speaker and daughter of the legendary and former three-time World Heavyweight champion boxer Muhammad Ali, has joined in the fight against Parkinson’s disease. She paid a visit to Halifax in April.

“I am teaming up with the Parkinson Society Maritime Region to help the thousands of people here in Canada and in the Maritime Region who suffer with Parkinson’s disease,” says Ali. “If I can help increase awareness with the use of my name then I’m hoping I could help change the lives of many people who suffer from this illness.”

Ultimately, Ali wants a cure for Parkinson’s. But she knows that without funding for the research process of finding a cure that might not happen. “I know that people like my dad, Michael J Fox and the late John Paul II, and there are so many celebrities that I know of that have Parkinson’s disease that use their face and their name and their celebrity to help the cause, and I’ve kind of taken on that challenge,” explains Ali.

Ali has spoken to groups—politicians, social leaders, doctors, neurologists, caregivers, family members and patients around the globe. She has also written a book, I’ll Hold Your Hand So You Won’t Fall—A Child’s Guide to Parkinson’s Disease to encourage dialogue and better communication within families who suffer from the debilitating disease.

Her father was diagnosed with the disease when she was quite young, and Ali said he did not exhibit pronounced, classic symptoms of Parkinson’s.

“It didn’t change anything and we didn’t think anything of it, to be honest,” says Ali, who grew up living with her mother’s parents, because her own parents wanted her to have a normal, middle-class upbringing. She spent summer vacations with her dad that were so “fun, Hollywood, and exciting” and experienced the best of both worlds.

“He still took us for ice cream, told us jokes and what have you,” says Ali. “He didn’t change at all as a person, which was nice.”

But as the disease progressed, Ali found her own children were seeing the visible signs of Parkinson’s and asking questions she didn’t know how to answer. With a sense of urgency she began to study research but found that any information that existed was very complex. Even as a college graduate with a degree in Communications, Ali had a hard time understanding the medical jargon. Upon discovering there was nothing out there to explain the complex illness to children, she created her guide, which she says is not just for kids.

“Anyone, teenagers and adults, can pick it up if they want to learn the very basic symptoms of Parkinson’s disease and how to help their loved ones with this condition,” she says.

Ali’s appearances and book signings have helped to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for Parkinson’s disease organizations all over the world. She was a keynote speaker at major fundraising event in Halifax this past spring. The sold-out gala dinner made $15,000.

“I’m talking to people about Parkinson’s disease and how me and my family deal with Parkinson’s. It’s very difficult but it’s certainly something people need to know if they’ve never gone through it. It’s good to hear from someone who is a care-giver and a Parkinson’s advocate and someone who’s experienced it.”

Her speech is not just for people with Parkinson’s. Ali says she believes her words could help with any challenging situation a family may go through.

“If it’s AIDS, cancer, paralysis, or any neurological disorder, you can apply it. I talk about support and love and how we can help our loved ones,” she says. “I try to inspire people with my speech, try to help them if they’re having difficulties and if I can only reach one person, it would be nice, but certainly my dreams are bigger than that. I’d like to be able to reach more and more people and help more and more people.”

What brought Ali to the Maritimes was an e-mail from Paul McNair, executive director of the Parkinson Society Maritime Region. She says she never would have known what was happening otherwise.

“I partnered up with the Maritime region of the Parkinson Society here because they gave me information of what’s going on, they gave me the number of people that are affected here and basically what I do is help them increase awareness. I help them with their fundraising efforts.”

Ali is strongly interested in helping the society at least improve the quality of life of the 8,400 people in the Maritimes who suffer from the disease.

“I did my research. I believe in what they do for their patients. There are tons of support groups that they are affiliated with. The group is so passionate about what they do.”

Ali was most impressed with the most recent fundraising efforts by the society, Plates for Parkinson’s. Blank plates and markers were mailed with return postage to A-list celebrities. Quite a buzz was created, and designed, autographed plates were returned by the likes of Martha Stewart, Dr. Phil, Bill Cosby, Don Cherry, Sidney Crosby, Ann Murray, Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick, the cast of “CSI” and more. Thirty-two plates were auctioned off on E-bay, raising $15,000. The plate from Hugh Laurie, also known as the popular Dr. House raised $4,999 alone. Buyers came from Europe, Australia, the US and Canada.

“What a wonderful idea,” says Ali. “They’ve reached out to a lot of celebrities. The money they raise is going to go to the families, to the people who are suffering. I believe that will really honestly put a smile on a lot of these family’s faces. I believe in them, I believe in what they do and commend their dedication. I think it’s just wonderful.”