Giving up is not an option!
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I remember exactly, it was April 11, 2022 in Frankfurt. I was invited as one of the everyday heroes to the anniversary celebration of the Hilde Ulrichs Foundation when I first saw and heard Gunnar sing. Gunnar had given new lyrics to the familiar melody composed by Herbert Grönemeyer. A text that described my emotional world better than I could ever have done in my own words. Delivered in an extraordinarily warm-hearted voice, it left me a little sad and in the end hopeful and optimistic. Gunnar and I stayed in touch, he sent me his text and a slightly blurry black and white video and made me promise to translate the emotions into pictures.
Here Gunnar with his 20 years Parkinson's in the neck, 49 years old, former export manager of the last coffee roasting company that remained from the GDR, art and culture café operator, member of the ALSO team (prevention against drugs and violence) .... and now early retirees.
And on the other hand I, with my 65 years and almost 4 years of Parkinson's experience, former manager and now editor of the Parkinson Journal, we could not be more different. And yet we are connected by an inner bond that almost everyone affected by Parkinson's knows.
The knowledge of the inexorable progression of the disease and the mantra that many of us carry before us – “Giving up is not an option”.
But see and hear for yourself.
Jürgen Zender, March 2023
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