HopefulCircle

Ruth Gullerud believes she was meant to help others with cerebral palsy achieve their goals.
And she has during her 34 years with United Cerebral Palsy of West Central Wisconsin, according to those who know her best.
But the time has come for Gullerud, who turns 65 in March, to do something else. She plans to retire in May from the agency that she has led since 1984.
"I'm going to miss the people, the families, but not the paperwork," said a chuckling Gullerud, who hesitated when she was offered the job as executive director nearly 30 years ago.

The first and most common sign of Parkinson’s disease — the second most common neurodegenerative disorder after Alzheimer’s — is trembling of a hand, foot, arm or leg, a shaking that progressively worsens.

Over time, other symptoms can appear: slowed movement, stooped posture, a shuffling gait. Changes in personality, depression, dementia, insomnia and speech impairments may also occur. Each year, more than 50,000 new cases of Parkinson’s are reported in the United States. Roughly 500,000 Americans have the disease, whose cause or causes are not known.