‘Give young women better support after Parkinson’s diagnosis’

Lara Tompkins was only 33 and had just given birth to her first child when she discovered she had Parkinson’s disease. While distressing enough in what should have been a joyous time, the lack of any tailored support for a young woman - let alone a new mother - made it a traumatic period.

Here, Lara discusses why bespoke support for younger women is needed, why provision for young people with Parkinson’s needs to be less of a postcode lottery, and how Deep Brain Stimulation has gone on to change her life

As a first-time mother, feelings of being overwhelmed, uncertain about what to do after such a huge adjustment in life, are completely common. 

But for Lara Tompkins, that life-changing moment - and its accompanying euphoria, amidst the many challenges that accompany becoming a parent - was compounded beyond what most of us could comprehend by a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease.