Bringing Comfort to Others - A Whittle Tremor Woodcarving Story
Patrick Pelkey, lifelong resident of New London, WI, was diagnosed 21 years on March 11th with Parkinson’s Disease. After his diagnosis, he started attending Parkinson’s Support Groups, where he learned of woodcarving to help with his tremors. Patrick says, “When I carve, my tremors almost seem to disappear.”
From his carvings, he makes Comfort Birds from laminate, other woods, or even acrylics, giving them away for free to people in hospitals and nursing homes. For Patrick, this helps him as much as it helps the people he gives the Comfort Birds; it gives him a good feeling that he’s helping others. So far, he has distributed 820 Comfort Birds to individuals in need at no cost.
Patrick has spent several years creating Comfort Birds, which he generously donates to organizations that support Parkinson's Disease. These donations are aimed at raising awareness for the organizations' missions.
Patrick has a positive attitude towards his Parkinson's and advises people not to feel sorry for him. He states that he is managing his Parkinson's well with the help of medication and is now doing things that he never would have done if he hadn't been diagnosed with the disease.
For fifteen years, Patrick facilitated a Parkinson's Support Group in Neenah, WI, and for five years, he facilitated another group in Waupaca, WI. Additionally, he was asked to be a Parkinson's advocate for the Michael J. Fox Foundation. He even had the opportunity to travel to Washington, D.C., to talk to politicians about Parkinson's disease.
According to Patrick, retiring in 2009 and getting away from the stress of the paper mill where he worked helped him manage his Parkinson's better. He believes that stress makes Parkinson's symptoms worse. He also travels and speaks to other Parkinson's Support Groups, which he believes helps him manage his condition.
We are grateful to Patrick for his unwavering support and advocacy for the Parkinson's community. We appreciate his willingness to let us share his story through this post. Stay tuned for more exciting content in the future. Thank you for your continued support and readership. Until next time!