Ep. 12 Choosing Joy Over Fear with Donna Parkhurst | This is Parkinson's Podcast

A Parkinson's diagnosis can radically alter your world, but it doesn't mean you have to borrow trouble from tomorrow. In this episode of This is Parkinson’s, Lisa Volenec is joined by content creator Donna Parkhurst (@movedbyparkinsons on Instagram) to discuss her fast-growing advocacy journey, navigating early-onset idiopathic Parkinson's symptoms, and managing chronic anxiety. After watching her mother navigate an aggressive form of Parkinson's, Donna found herself facing the exact same symptoms years later, culminating in an official diagnosis in November 2025. Instead of keeping her diagnosis quiet, Donna allowed a "fire to be lit within her." She has since built a vibrant, fast-growing social media community where she shares her raw, unfiltered lived experience. In this episode, Donna shares the fierce words from her sister that kept her from rolling over, how she handles online trolls who claim she "doesn't look sick enough," and why validating the invisible symptoms of Parkinson's is essential for mental health. In this episode, we dive into: The emotional transition from Parkinson's care partner to a diagnosed patient. Overcoming the initial fear, denial, and anxiety of a neurological diagnosis. Dealing with social media critics and the toxic "you don't look sick enough" stigma. Understanding the invisible symptoms of Parkinson's (and why compliments can sometimes feel invalidating). Practical mindfulness tools for managing severe Parkinson's-related anxiety. Subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an inspiring story! 👉 Don't forget to follow, rate, and share this episode to help amplify the stories that spark real change! Hit that Follow button to join our community. Whether you’re a patient, a caregiver, or an advocate, we’re here to show you that you don’t have to navigate this journey alone. ━━━━━━ ꕤ Support the mission of This is Parkinson’s Donate here: https://bit.ly/thisisparkinsonsdonate ━━━━━━ ꕤ Follow us: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisisparkinsonsofficial Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thisisparkinsons ━━━━━━ ꕤ About This is Parkinson’s: This is Parkinson’s is a nonprofit storytelling platform dedicated to sharing honest conversations about life with Parkinson’s disease. Through interviews with patients, caregivers, advocates, and experts, TIP aims to educate, reduce stigma, and build a community around the realities of living with Parkinson’s. Learn more: https://www.thisisparkinsons.org Contact: info@thisisparkinsons.org ━━━━━━ ꕤ 🔔 🩵 ⟢ Thank you for watching and supporting TIP. Your support helps amplify the voices of the Parkinson’s community and brings greater awareness to this disease. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices