In 1992, artist Donald Ensor Scott was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease,  a long-term  neurodegenerative disorder of the central nervous system that mainly affects the motor system. Symptoms generally come on slowly over time.


In the past 15 years as Don's Parkinson's has progressed, he has gone through tw o major brain surgeries to help alleviate the severity of his Parkinson’s related tremors. While these surgeries helped with his tremors initially, the natural progression of the disease, for which there is no treatment or cure, has drastically worsened. He is now in the most advanced stage of Parkinson’s suffering with the onset of Dementia.


Don is a lifelong artist who began his career as a student at the University of Oregon where he studied sculpture. After graduation, he discovered painting and printmaking while studying and working in New York City and Puerto Rico. He found his love for painting portraits in Provincetown which led him to find his artistic home in New Orleans, Louisiana  in 1973.


There, he worked as a courtroom sketch artist for WDSU/NBC, covering all major trials for over 20 years, including those of the infamous Governor Edwin Edwards.



When not working in the courtroom, he would often be found painting from dawn to dusk at Jackson Square during its heyday.


Throughout the course of his disease, Don has persevered, painting prolifically and maintaining a playful sense of optimism in the face of an increasingly debilitating disease.


Once an animated, effusive storyteller Don now struggles to communicate verbally. Don has always been a highly spirited and independent explorer -- wandering the city looking for subjects to paint, coffee shops to frequent, characters to meet, always dancing where there was music and never without an outlandish story to tell.


In the last few years his mobility has drastically declined, leaving him bedridden and requiring 24 hour care. He has begun to suffer from frequent hallucinations, delusions, confusion, and difficulty with eating and swallowing. In spite of all of this, every now and again, there is a glimmer of the fun-loving rascal we all love and adore.

While Medicare covers some of his medical needs, it does not provide for the necessary Home Health Care that the severity of his current state requires. Because of this, his around-the-clock needs and care fall to his wife and partner of 35 years, Marcia Anglem. Not only is this physically taxing, it also has a significant emotional toll. The enormity of this task has been life altering for Marcia.  She has taken on this challenge with grace and poise.  She credits Don's bravery and humility while facing each new debilitating challenge as her inspiration to stay positive and focused on giving Don the care he needs.


When he could no longer walk, he took to his mobility scooter and flew down the streets of New Orleans with joyful abandon as many people along his route will tell you.  He has never whined or complained about his fate and has always looked on the bright side.


We kindly ask you to consider making a contribution to help pay for the expenses necessary for Don’s care. Currently, the average cost of professional care ranges from $15 to $20 per hour and rounds up to about $100,000 per year for full-time care. While a $15 donation would help pay for an hour of his care, a donation of any size helps immensely and is greatly appreciated.