SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — A local man with Parkinson's Disease is taking an unfortunate diagnosis and channeling it into a mission of hope and support for others affected by the condition. Mike Ziomek, diagnosed at 34, has launched a foundation dedicated to raising awareness and critical funding for Parkinson's research, ABC15 reported.
Ziomek, now 41 and a father of four, experienced worsening symptoms which led him to step down from his work as a licensed attorney in D.C. and Arizona. But despite personal challenges, he's turned his focus to the Shovel Crew Foundation to Bury Parkinson's Disease, a non-profit organization aiming to make a difference. "With this charity, with this foundation, it has given me a new purpose in life and, a new focus in life because I want to help as many people as I can to know that it isn’t over, the world isn’t going to end, the sun’s going to come up tomorrow, we just got to make the best of it,” Ziomek told ABC15.
The foundation, swiftly becoming Ziomek's new life passion, holds various fundraising events, including movie screenings and dinner occasions. Previous events like "Pierogies for Parkinson’s" and "Back to the Future" movie screening have brought the community together for a common cause. Details on their upcoming events and how the public can engage in advocacy work are accessible via their website, Ziomek disclosed in an interview with Together for Sharon.
Ziomek stressed the importance of federal funding for Parkinson's research, noting that most current research support comes from private foundations and grassroots efforts. “I think once the public finds this out, they will see the need. It just takes money for the little guy like me to start to make a dent, but the hope is, with my passion and drive my kids will have the choice of better treatment or a cure should they heaven forbid by hit by this disease,” he said in the same interview.
Aside from fundraising, Ziomek practices boxing, walking, and golf to manage his symptoms and recently found solace in meditation and sound healing. Conveying the universal relevance of the disease, he urges everyone to recognize the potential impact Parkinson's can have, citing his own unexpected diagnosis as an example of the disease's indiscriminate nature. He closed his interview with Together for Sharon by highlighting a song that resonates with him, "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" by Tears for Fears, underscoring that power and control are irrelevant in the face of Parkinson's.
