A 23-YEAR-old has been revealed as one of the UK’s youngest known sufferers of Parkinson’s Disease. Father-of-one Shaun Slicker was diagnosed with the condition – which affects the way the brain coordinates body movements – solving a medical conundrum which baffled doctors for four years.shaun_s_slicker@live . co. uk.
A 23-YEAR-old has been revealed as one of the UK’s youngest known sufferers of Parkinson’s Disease.
Father-of-one Shaun Slicker was diagnosed with the condition – which affects the way the brain coordinates body movements – solving a medical conundrum which baffled doctors for four years.
Now Shaun has spoken about the impact the disease has had on his life and his plans for the future with five-month-old son, Leland Wiffen-Slicker.
Shaun, from Dunwood Park Courts, Shaw, said: "After years of uncertainty finding out what was causing my suffering was in some way a relief, but it has also been devastating. It was a life-changing moment. But everyone who knows me knows I’m a positive person and I’m determined to live my life as fully as I can."
Shaun, who had played rugby for Saddleworth Rangers since he was five, first noticed a tremor in his left leg in 2006.
Putting it down to a trapped nerve he ignored it, until the symptoms persisted and he began to develop a limp along with tremors in his arm and hand.
After three-years of medical examinations, neurologists finally revealed he had Young Onset Parkinson’s.
While it is commonlybelieved Parkinson’s only affects older people, one in 20 of the 10,000 diagnosed each year are under 40 years-old.
The younger a patient is the rarer the diagnosis, but children as young as seven have been found to have the condition.
There is some medical evidence suggesting that life expectancy is significantly decreased in patients aged under 50. There is also a risk of more complications from the treatments than their elderly counterparts.
Having to give up rugby and work have been the most difficult changes Shaun has made to his life.
But his greatest fear was not being able to hold his son safely.
"I suffer from stiffness on the left-hand side of my body, which can prevent me from moving about much, but the daily injections of a drug called Apomorphine really make a difference," he said. "It’s been a battle but I’m getting there and starting to live a semi-normal life."
As for the future, Shaun is hoping to be spend his free time working with young people as both a rugby coach and mentor to those with behavioural problems.
The former Royton and Crompton School pupil is also keen to support the Parkinson’s Disease Society in its work to find a cure and raise the profile of the disease.
In January Shaun and 40 friends took part in a 4.5-mile fund-raising fancy-dress walk across Oldham to raise £826 for the charity.
Dr Kieran Breen, director of research at the Parkinson’s Disease Society, said the charity was ‘closer than ever’ to finding a cure.
"Research funded by the Parkinson’s Disease Society is helping people to overcome many of the symptoms of the condition. A younger person may have many years of experiencing only minor symptoms before it becomes necessary to take medication. Keeping fit, eating well and having a positive outlook may also help people to lead a full and active life."
Father-of-one Shaun Slicker was diagnosed with the condition – which affects the way the brain coordinates body movements – solving a medical conundrum which baffled doctors for four years.
Now Shaun has spoken about the impact the disease has had on his life and his plans for the future with five-month-old son, Leland Wiffen-Slicker.
Shaun, from Dunwood Park Courts, Shaw, said: "After years of uncertainty finding out what was causing my suffering was in some way a relief, but it has also been devastating. It was a life-changing moment. But everyone who knows me knows I’m a positive person and I’m determined to live my life as fully as I can."
Shaun, who had played rugby for Saddleworth Rangers since he was five, first noticed a tremor in his left leg in 2006.
Putting it down to a trapped nerve he ignored it, until the symptoms persisted and he began to develop a limp along with tremors in his arm and hand.
After three-years of medical examinations, neurologists finally revealed he had Young Onset Parkinson’s.
While it is commonlybelieved Parkinson’s only affects older people, one in 20 of the 10,000 diagnosed each year are under 40 years-old.
The younger a patient is the rarer the diagnosis, but children as young as seven have been found to have the condition.
There is some medical evidence suggesting that life expectancy is significantly decreased in patients aged under 50. There is also a risk of more complications from the treatments than their elderly counterparts.
Having to give up rugby and work have been the most difficult changes Shaun has made to his life.
But his greatest fear was not being able to hold his son safely.
"I suffer from stiffness on the left-hand side of my body, which can prevent me from moving about much, but the daily injections of a drug called Apomorphine really make a difference," he said. "It’s been a battle but I’m getting there and starting to live a semi-normal life."
As for the future, Shaun is hoping to be spend his free time working with young people as both a rugby coach and mentor to those with behavioural problems.
The former Royton and Crompton School pupil is also keen to support the Parkinson’s Disease Society in its work to find a cure and raise the profile of the disease.
In January Shaun and 40 friends took part in a 4.5-mile fund-raising fancy-dress walk across Oldham to raise £826 for the charity.
Dr Kieran Breen, director of research at the Parkinson’s Disease Society, said the charity was ‘closer than ever’ to finding a cure.
"Research funded by the Parkinson’s Disease Society is helping people to overcome many of the symptoms of the condition. A younger person may have many years of experiencing only minor symptoms before it becomes necessary to take medication. Keeping fit, eating well and having a positive outlook may also help people to lead a full and active life."
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