Gloria and the Parkinson's Voice Project

No sooner had we return from our summer travels than it was time to move into our rented apartment in Dallas for the entire month of October. The apartment is provided by Ark House, an organization that offers low-cost, temporary housing for long-term patients. It started as a Sunday school ministry in a Methodist church, and now, 14 years later, is funded by many sources and has no full-time staff members. Gloria was the first Parkinson’s patient. Her voice therapy was provided by the Parkinson Voice Project of Richardson, TX. She attended four weeks of individual therapy administered for one hour each day by Molly, a speech pathologist. Sessions were on Monday through Thursday, with a group session on Thursdays. Homework assignments consisted of half-hour sessions using a practice manual and voice recorder provided by the project. Gloria had to reach 70 to 90 decibels on a sound level meter while performing the various exercises. We worked together as she completed her assignments. The four weeks seemed to fly by, and it was fun having access to all kinds of Dallas stores and restaurants. It was a bit different from our little town of Hillsboro.

Graduation consisted of Gloria getting presented with a certificate of completion and a review of her progress. Molly played back audios and videos of when Gloria was first evaluated for the project. Then she compared those with the latest tapes. The progress was remarkable, but now Gloria must continue practicing daily using her workbook and meter. This will be a life-long effort if she is to be heard in social situations and during one-on-one conversations. If you have known Gloria for long, you would think it strange to not hear her former loud voice projected above most others during group events.

We are most thankful for the Parkinson Voice Project, which is a free service. However, a donation from us will be appreciated so that someone else can profit from the program. Note: Click photos to enlarge; click back arrow to return to view.