Member Article

Parkinson's Won't Stand In David's Way

A 71 year old Parkinson’s sufferer from Sutton in Craven is fighting back against the condition by refusing to retire, supporting a range of initiatives for Parkinson’s UK as well as heading up the charity’s support and research Skipton and District Branch.

David Riley started working at Saltaire based Czajka Care Group’s Beanlands Nursing Home in Cross Hills 40 years ago as the property’s maintenance manager. He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s 10 years ago and now assists with health and safety compliance across Czajka Care Group’s five Yorkshire care homes.

He recently raised £1,400 for Parkinson’s, with support from Czajka Care Group, after completing a sponsored walk on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. He has also just been appointed as Chairman of Parkinson’s UK’s Skipton and District Branch for a second term. The support group currently has 58 members in Skipton and its surrounding area and is looking to build on this further over the coming months.

David is now drumming up support from local businesses for Wakefield woman Leanne Owen, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2011, and will be cycling to 24 of the charity’s branches throughout Yorkshire and the Humber, including Skipton, for Parkinson’s Awareness Week which starts on 18th April 2016.

David says: “My way of dealing with Parkinson’s is to keep myself busy and ensure my mind is always occupied. This means still working at Czajka Care Group which has always been a huge part of my life. Although I enjoy my job immensely, I’ve offered to retire several times, but I’m always told that I can continue working for as long as I like, which is great to know and incredibly supportive.

“Becoming the Chairman of the Skipton and District Branch of Parkinson’s UK is also a huge honour. It has given me a great opportunity to give something back to a wonderful organisation that has supported me and my family over that last decade. Our focus is now on Parkinson’s Awareness Week and generating sponsorship and donations for Leanne Owen. Again Czajka Care Group is supporting us with this challenge and we’re keen to attract more sponsorship and donations of goods and services to help with her ride, from other local businesses.”

Konrad Czajka, Managing Director of Czajka Care Group, says: “We’re all too aware of the perils of Parkinson’s because it’s a condition that affects a number of our residents. However, David never lets Parkinson’s stand in his way and we’re fortunate that he’s done a sterling job for us for so many years. He is a hugely positive character, a genuine asset to our business and very popular with our residents and we’re always keen to support his fundraising efforts.”

Parkinson’s is a progressive neurological condition that one person in every 500 suffers from. The symptoms and how quickly they progress, are different for everyone and include tremor, rigidity and slowness of movement. People with Parkinson’s can find that other issues, such as tiredness, pain, depression and constipation, can have an impact on their day-to-day lives. There’s currently no cure, but drugs and treatments are available to manage many of the symptoms.

Anyone wanting to support Leanne Owen or wanting more information about the Skipton and District Branch of Parkinson’s can email david.riley@czajka.co.uk for more information.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Steven Wright .