Miami couple finishes cross-country trek to raise awareness for Parkinson ’s

Roy and Lynn Roden bicycled up the snowy mountains in Washington and through a sandstorm in the New Mexican desert. They picked apples, marveled at seals and hummingbirds and grew closer with each mile.

Most of all, they spread the word about Parkinsons disease, as they rode cross-country from Seattle back to Miami with their two dogs riding behind them in carriers. Samantha is their Labradoodle; Oliver, their English springer spaniel.

If I can travel 5,000 miles on a bicycle, maybe it can motivate someone to get out of the house, and just take a bike ride or walk around the block and get some exercise, said Roy Roden, 55, of North Miami Beach, who has Parkinsons.

Roden and his wife returned to Miami on Friday, completing their four-month PD Challenge. Looking trim, fit and tanned, they cycled to the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine amid much fanfare, welcomed by Roys doctors, family, friends and other members of the Parkinsons disease community.

Its an amazing trip, and its obviously going to increase awareness of Parkinsons disease and that there are treatment options that improve quality of life, said Dr. Jonathan Jagid, a neurosurgeon and associate professor at UM Miller School of Medicine.

During their adventure, the Rodens met with Parkinsons patients and researchers, sharing their experiences of managing the disease. Roy encouraged patients to join clinical trials and spoke about the benefits of Deep Brain Stimulation, a treatment he underwent in July that suppresses Parkinsons symptoms.

Talking to people about their disease and to other care partners about how it affects them, that was one of the best things for me, said Lynn, Roys wife.

A progressive, neurodegenerative brain disorder, Parkinsons is the second most common degenerative disease of the brain after Alzheimers. It affects one million people in the United States, including an estimated 35,000 in South Florida, according to the National Parkinson Foundation, which is based in Miami.

Each year, about 50,000 to 60,000 cases of Parkinsons are diagnosed, with an average age at diagnosis of 62. With the aging of the baby boomer population, diagnoses are expected to double by 2030.

Among its symptoms, Parkinsons causes tremors, slowness of movement and rigidity. Those with the disease can also display a host of other early signs, including loss of smell. The disorder can also affect cognition and gastrointestinal functions.

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Miami couple finishes cross-country trek to raise awareness for Parkinson ’s