Jack's friends saw him shaking. What happened next would change his life forever
Victoria’s father Jack Lord Gamble was “always a little wobbly”.
The 37-year-old is simply someone who “gets into a vibe from time to time”.
However, as his friends worried about his deteriorating condition, the Melbourne dad knew something more serious was at play.
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Then came the news that turned his world upside down – Jack had Parkinson’s disease.
“It’s difficult, definitely harder than I realized,” he told 7NEWS.com.au.
While coming to terms with life-changing conditions takes time, Jack hopes his experience can help others realize they are not alone and dispel common misconceptions.
Around 38 Australians are diagnosed with Parkinson’s every day. In 2018, Jack found himself among those statistics.
Parkinson’s is not common in people under 50, with only 10 to 20 percent of people with the disease experiencing symptoms before that age.
Jack was in a small group of sufferers who were affected early and was diagnosed with “young onset Parkinson’s”.
“I didn’t notice it at first, but people around me did,” he said.
“When it really started to affect me, the right side of my body was affected. I was slow and stiff, my arms didn’t swing, I had trouble moving.”
After several meetings with specialists, the 33-year-old finally found an answer.
“I was joking about it being Parkinson’s when I got checked out. I didn’t really expect it, but it makes sense,” he said.
While most people might be overcome by a fear of the unknown upon hearing such a diagnosis, Jack says “weird” is his most prominent feeling.
“It was quite a strange moment for me. I think it was also good because I finally knew what was going on and (the specialist) gave me some medication which was really helpful.”
Make peace with it
The father-of-one spent years working in the health care industry as a support officer and paramedic and has recently been dividing his days between providing crisis support for victims of violence and spending time with friends.
However, his world-shattering diagnosis forces him to leave his world of work and learn to let go of the life he once knew.
“The hardest thing for me is fatigue and cognition, those are the most crippling factors with work,” says Jack.
Patients with Parkinson’s disease often describe their fatigue as a type of fatigue that makes it impossible to move, as if simple daily tasks were too exhausting.
For Jack, work becomes impossible. Now, he spends most of his days at home.
“It’s not easy. As a young man, a lot of your identity and self-worth is attached to what you do as a career and that shapes a lot of your ego,” he said.
“Being in the infirmary for so long and then turning into a patient, I found it quite challenging.”
“Now I play around with a bit of art and spend time reading and exercising, which is good for Parkinson’s.
“It can affect your executive function and my cognition is no longer good or sharp.”
While he now spends his days at a much slower pace, Jack says he’s counting his blessings.
“I’m so lucky… I’ve had this experience in Australia than anywhere else where the health system isn’t this strong,” she said.
“We have a lot of great services here such as Shake It Up Australia and Fight Parkinson, which provide specialized health information and support.”
Taking a step back from work has given him the opportunity to focus on his little son Huxley and take on every new health challenge that comes his way.
“Parkinson’s can affect your executive function. My cognition isn’t as good or sharp anymore and you can get overwhelmed, which can make the symptoms worse,” she said.
This disease is neurodegenerative, meaning it develops over time. It can also manifest in different presentations and speeds for each person, Jack explains.
“It’s very slow, but there’s always the fear when you don’t have the capacity to do something and think ‘is this what happened or is it just a bad day?’,” he said.
Nonetheless, she is still determined to live life to the fullest with her support system by her side.
“This is very difficult for (my family). Seeing your children sick and having the experience is unimaginable,” he said.
High-tech medical breakthroughs help Parkinson’s patients.
Managing misunderstandings
Parkinson’s is the second most common neurological condition affecting Australians, but its cause remains one of the least understood.
“People think it only affects older people, but that’s not the case,” said Jack.
“I was very young. Michael J Fox is in his late 20s.”
The Back To The Future star was diagnosed with Parkinson’s at the age of 29.
Thirty years later, the award-winning actor says living with the disease is “a tough thing” but remains optimistic – a view Jack shares.
The disease can eventually make people lose the ability to walk and talk, but, while he faces a scary future, Jack says he’s not afraid.
Young dads wanting others to know a diagnosis like Parkinson’s, especially at a young age, doesn’t have to mean you’re missing out on a life.
On the verge of revolution
While scientists have made progress with research and treatment, there is still no cure for this disease.
A national research project, the Australian Parkinson’s Genetics Study, is currently underway to help scientists decode Parkinson’s.
Funded by Shake It Up Australia and the Michael J Fox foundation, this research aims to better understand the genetic underpinnings of Parkinson’s to revolutionize future research into cause, treatment and prevention.
Participants filled out questionnaires and provided saliva samples — something most people know how to do thanks to the pandemic, joked Jack.
“Having worked in healthcare, I know the importance of evidence-based medicine and practice and if this can be of any benefit to someone in the future, why not take part,” he said.
“The more data and information we get, the better chance we have to help me and future generations. Anyone with Parkinson’s should join this study.”
SIUA CEO Clyde Campbell, who also lives with Parkinson’s, said the research opens up so many possibilities for learning about the disease.
“We are truly on the verge of a potential medical breakthrough in our lives, which could change the face of this disease,” he said.
“However, to make that possible, we need those living with Parkinson’s to register so we can understand the complexities.”
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