Who will pay the Piper?

The Facts About Parkinson's

In Australia, there are approximately 80,000 people living with Parkinson's disease, with one in five of these people being diagnosed before the age of 50

1 in every 308 Australian people live with Parkinson's,
37 new cases of Parkinson's are diagnosed each day in Australia,
Currently, there are 27,000 Victorians diagnosed with Parkinson's,
Parkinson's doesn't just affect old people - 18% of people living with Parkinson's are of working age
In 2018 the total economic cost was estimated at over 12.3 billion,
In 2014, Parkinson's had a higher prevalence than most cancers. $161,300 - expense over the 12.5 years - Cancer averages at $145,000,
Overall, the direct financial cost of Parkinson's has increased by 103% since 2005,
People with Parkinson's are more than 5 times likely to be living in aged care facilities
The burden of care borne by carers has increased over 14 times,
In 2015 there were 1,783 deaths and 17,226 years of life lost, and
To date, a cure for Parkinson's has not been found.

(Courtesy of Parkinson's Victoria)

Parkinson's affects a number of Current & Past Club Members

A number of current and past Club members have been diagnosed with Parkinson's, and continue to cope with the challenges that brings.

Where Can You Find out More

Luckily, in Victoria, Parkinson's Victoria supports the thousands diagnosed with Parkinson's, their carers and families. They provide a first class health advisory phone service that extends to all Australians affected by Parkinson's. Their ability to continue offering these services is primarily based on the success of their annual "27 for Parkinson's" challenge.

How can you help?

There are many ways in which you can help:

Find out more about Parkinson's,
Make a financial donation directly to Parkinson's Victoria,
Become a fundraiser in their annual "27 for Parkinson's" challenge, or
Support our member Stephen Lake, who is again raising funds for Parkinson's Victoria in this year's "27 for Parkinson's" challenge, by clicking on the image below:

Stephen Lake's "27 for Parkinson's" 2021 Challenge

Last year a number of Melbourne Rotary members supported Stephen in this worthwhile cause, and enabled him to raise over $6,400 for Parkinson's Victoria.

This year, in support of the "27 for Parkinson's" challenge, Stephen is learning 27 tunes on the bagpipes during October. He promises, if you back his fund-raising effort, you won't be woken at 6 am by the sounds of the pipes as he practices.