In this special Parkinson’s Awareness Month episode of When Life Gives You Parkinson’s, I chat with Heather Kennedy. Heather, recently named an Ambassador to the World Parkinson Congress 2022, is a fierce Parkinson’s advocate from San Francisco. Heather tackles some tough topics; being a woman with PD, dating with bladder urgency, and depression.

“Depression? It’s tricky,” she says. “It creeps up, it lies to you, it tells you that you’re nothing, that you’re useless, and that there are millions and billions of people and you don’t matter.” Heather’s action plan for emerging from the darkness includes volunteering and making small positive gestures to people in her community. It gives her something to cling to when the blanket of depression envelops her, “When depression tries to get me, I think ‘hey, people might be depending on me. I’m going to get up for them.’” 

The former film and photography production assistant shares her journey online through her alter-ego Kathleen Kiddo, a pen name and a license to be a raw, real and revealing. “I’ve always kept a journal and I love it. It’s a way to clarify and share with the world. It’s a little window to these stories, miraculous stories  – some of which I don’t even know where they come from. They don’t even belong to me.” When you read her social media posts and blog or watch her videos, you quickly realize Heather is funny, bright, sarcastic, creative, inspiring and always finding new, amazing ways to share her Parkinson’s story.

Please comment by leaving us a voice message here: https://www.speakpipe.com/WhenLifeGivesYouParkinsons

Links we mentioned and source material for the show:

Kathleen Kiddo – www.KathleenKiddo.com, on Twitter, on Facebook and Instagram

The Inner Sanctum episode featuring the murderous character “Larry Gifford” is from May 15, 1945.It’s called The Black Art https://www.speakingofradio.com/interviews/brown-himan-producer-director/

Follow me, Larry Gifford 

Twitter: @ParkinsonsPod

Facebook: Facebook.com/ParkinsonsPod

Instagram: @parkinsonspod

Follow Co-host and Producer Niki Reitmayer

Twitter: @Niki_Reitmayer

Thank you to my wife and partner in Parkinson’s Rebecca Gifford.

Also, thank you to the following contributors and guests.

Heather Kennedy aka Kathleen Kiddo. Follow her! www.KathleenKiddo.com,

Disney Pixar’s Inside Out

CBS Mystery Theater,

The Creaking Door

Inner Sanctum Radio

The estate Himan Brown

Speaking of Radio.com

Our presenting partner is Parkinson Canada http://www.parkinson.ca/

The toll free hotline 1-800-565-3000

Follow them on Twitter @ParkinsonCanada

Find the new Parkinson Clinical Guideline www.parkinsonclinicalguideline.ca

Our content and promotional partners

Parkinson’s IQ + You– A free, series of Parkinson’s events from the Michael J. Fox Foundation

Spotlight YOPD – The only Parkinson’s organization dedicated to raising awareness for Young Onset Parkinson’s disease and funds for the Cure Parkinson’s Trust. 

WPC2022- Save the date for the sixth World Parkinson Congress, June 7 to 10, 2022 in Barcelona, Spain in 2022. The only inclusive scientific conference opens its doors to people with Parkinson’s and families.  

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