Big Sur Marathon for Parkinson's Research

My dad was born on February 22nd, 1953 in Saigon, Vietnam. According to him, he was “dirt poor.” When he was in Vietnam, academics could mean the difference between life or death. You had to score a certain percentile (top 20%) to avoid being drafted into the army. My dad told me his family could not pay for the private tutors that his friends afforded, but he would still go to the library on his own to borrow books and study. He ended up achieving one of the top scores in the nation.

When my dad immigrated to America, he went to school full time while also working in the evenings to support himself, as well as send money back home to family in Vietnam. Despite living paycheck to paycheck and barely understanding English at the time, my dad acquired a bachelor's degree in Electrical engineering, then went on to pursue his Masters Degree at the prestigious California Institute of Technology.

Furthermore, when my dad worked at Sun Microsystems, they were confronted with a project to develop a chip that would integrate with Cisco systems. It was an extremely difficult undertaking that nobody wanted to get their hands on because everyone thought it was impossible. My dad put his career on the line to tackle the problem with 2 other engineers. After 10 months of relentless hard work, they had achieved the impossible and the project was a success.

When I asked my dad what intrinsic quality, motivation, or secret ingredient ultimately led to his achievements, he simply said - Courage. If you want to quit, nobody is stopping you. But if you want to move forward, you must have the courage to take that first step because nobody is doing it for you.

In 2019, my dad was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease and I saw the extreme toll it took on his physical and mental health. For someone who loved to exercise, play guitar, and paint, this cruel disease had robbed him of his fine motor dexterity and many of his passions. I saw him struggle through simple activities such as eating, walking, and sleeping. However, for the past 4 years, he never gave up on himself and us. While there is currently no cure for Parkinson’s, my dad remains hopeful, attends several physical therapy sessions a week, and continues to endure the ever-changing nature of his disease.

There have been more times than I can count walking away tearful from conversations with my dad. I am so proud of my dad for the immense courage he has shown in the face of insurmountable odds, and how he continues to shape me into the man I am today.

I want to have the courage to run this marathon not only for myself, but for my dad and all the people who have suffered from Parkinson’s Disease. From my own personal experience, I know how extremely difficult this disease can be for the patients, caregivers, and all of their loved ones. I want to dedicate this marathon to Parkinson’s research, so 100% of your donations will go directly towards finding a cure.

I will be running in the Big Sur Marathon on Sunday April 30th, 2023. If you had asked me several years ago if I could run 26.2 miles after 2 ACL surgeries, I would have said that is impossible. But my dad has proven time and time again that you are the authority on what is possible.

Thank you for your time and listening to my story.

Any donation, no matter how small, will be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

Andy

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The Michael J. Fox Foundation is dedicated to finding a cure for Parkinson's disease through an aggressively funded research agenda and to ensuring the development of improved therapies for those living with Parkinson's today.

We believe without fail that our goal is within reach - but we can't get there without your support. Please join the fight today.