Spring 2015 Healthy Directions
8
Mark Herman is surrounded by his Parkinson's support team (from l to r)
Brittany Bonner, speech therapist, Shannon Lenahan, physical therapist, and
his wife, Barbara.
B
efore the program, Mark Herman was falling frequently.
"He was very unsteady," his wife, Barbara, recalls.
"Frankly, it was very frightening."
Mark, a Jackson resident, had been living with Parkinson's
disease for the past four years, and his now 72-year-old
body was having difficulty performing everyday tasks. His
recurrent falls were posing a serious concern for his safety.
Before he started the CentraState's LSVT BIG and LOUD
program, designed to improve movement (BIG) and speech
(LOUD) in patients with Parkinson's, Mark went through
some physical therapy at other health care facilities. He was
also given some exercises to do at home, which he was
having difficulty completing. Determined to find a therapy
routine that Mark could fully commit to, Barbara discovered
CentraState's program. After meeting with CentraState's
LSVT BIG and LOUD staff, including Shannon Lenahan,
Mark's BIG physical therapist, and Brittany Bonner, his
LOUD speech-language pathologist, Mark was willing to
give it a go.
Growing Confidence
after Parkinson's Rehabilitation
