Greetings/Saludos from Robert Leaver here in South Florida.

I find myself at a critical time in my life where I am no longer able to work full-time. 12 years back I was diagnosed with early onset Parkinson’s, an incurable progressive neurological disorder. As it has progressed it has made things more challenging for me. Recently, a back & shoulder injury has made it difficult if not impossible to drive.

As one reaches the later stages of this mysterious and insidious malady one can expect to experience more muscle stiffness, pronounced rigidity and body-wide pain, dizziness, imbalance, more episodes of “troublesome dyskinesia” or involuntary muscle movements, as well as tremors, extreme slowness of motion and bradykinesia or freezing of gait. I am struggling with all these things now.

I feel as if I am on a rollercoaster—rising and falling through multiple daily cycles of “on” and “off” periods. When I realized I was experiencing an acceleration in both the frequency and duration of off periods, during which I would be incapable of doing anything and vulnerable to injurious falls, I put in a Disability claim with the Social Security Administration on July 5th and I am still waiting for an answer. Who can afford to wait this long if they are unable to work?

Working only part-time over the past couple of years I am now facing the challenge of mounting medical bills, the loss of health insurance and an unexpected 35% increase in my rent. It may take another 6 months until I can get approved for Disability and I am now reaching out to those who I know and those I don’t know to please help me through this difficult time in my life.

Throughout this whole experience music has been central to my survival. At one time I owned a record store called “Round World Music” in San Francisco and I was a seller and buyer of records for Stern’s African Record Centre in London and Amoeba Music in San Francisco and Hollywood, California. I have DJ’d and made playlists for every major music streaming platform. I co-produced a couple of Grammy-nominated albums of Cuban music. Music is my life. Current neuroscience seems to indicate that the act of playing an instrument, singing a song, or simply listening to music gets the brain firing in more locations than any other single activity. The brain lights up like a Christmas tree. I’ve long felt that Music was medication for me and my saving grace which helps me transcend the pain and suffering to experience Joy and Love.

Any amount you can donate will be greatly appreciated. Please help by passing this along to other people in our community.

Thank you! Muchísimas Gracias! Peace, Love, and Music!