Athlone woman's endurance challenge in memory of her Mum
By Navjvoti Dalal
At first the changes are small, a minor tremor, some stiffness in the muscles, slight postural stoop, or slowing down of movement. But as time progresses Parkinson's Disease engulfs every area of one's life, limiting it, if not crippling it completely.
Helena O'Dwyer has seen this firsthand from the toll the disease took on her mother, Mary Farrell (née Rushe), a Ballykeeran native who died earlier this year following a long and courageous battle with Parkinson's.
In memory of her hard-working and garden-loving mother, Helena is now taking on five races to raise funds for the Parkinson's Association of Ireland.
The Athlone woman, who lives in Dublin, will be participating in three 'Tryka' and two 'Hyrox' races across the next four months and in three different countries – Ireland, UK and Portugal.
The two races are indoor fitness competitions which blend endurance and functional strength. An athlete is expected to sprint many sets, with various kinds of work-outs woven in between.
Even though sports has always been a part of Helena's life - she was a celebrated basketball player when growing up in Athlone - the races will be a test of sorts for her after she injured her knees 20 years ago.
“I train six days a week, for about an hour to 75 minutes. I injured my knees two decades ago, but slowly I have built myself up to run again. I have taken part in three Tryka races earlier. But five races in a matter of four months requires strength and endurance,” said Helena, who is a partner at professional services firm Ernst and Young in Dublin.
Her mother, Mary, was well-known in her native Athlone. One of Mary's seven children, Helena remembers her mother as a tough but kind, resilient businesswoman who loved gardening. “My favourite memory of her is Mum tending to her garden in Ballykeeran, making sure there are no weeds,” she recalls.
Mary spent the last 20 years of her life living with Parkinson's, having become unwell shortly after the death of her husband, Tommy, in 2001. She passed away, at the age of 88, in May this year. Westmeath Independent columnist Jean Farrell wrote a nostalgic piece remembering the young Mary in this paper in June.
Helena recalls that the disease gradually took away any quality of life Mary had. “She was tired all the time. Her mobility was restricted to a point that she was limited to her bed, her swallow functions deteriorated, causing pneumonia many times.
“Over time her body degenerated, and towards the end she had Parkinson's induced dementia. It's a really awful disease, it took her dignity completely,” elaborated Helena.
The impact wasn't borne by Mary alone. The seven siblings took turns to care for her, but after her health deteriorated severely Mary spent her last few years at a nursing home.
“As a family we learned about the disease, and how to respond to her needs as a carer. But my sister Geraldine, who is a nurse, did much of the heavy lifting in looking after Mum,” explained Helena, who is keen to raise awareness and funds for Parkinson's.
Helena set up a 'GoFundMe' page and her fundraiser note reads: “Every kilometre, every workout, and every finish line will be dedicated to Mum and to the thousands of people and families living with Parkinson's across Ireland.”
She has raised €3,225 at the time of writing, and all funds raised go to Parkinson's Association of Ireland. Donations towards Helena's fundraiser for Mary Farrell can be made on gofundme.com (Search for 'Parkinson's fundraiser for Mary Farrell - 5 races, 4 months').