Walking with a little help
from her friends

By Tom Waring
Times Staff Writer

For about two years, Jenn Lardani experienced a tremor in her right hand, along with general weakness and some trouble walking.
That’s not unusual for an elderly woman, but Lardani is in her twenties.
Doctors repeatedly linked the ailments to stress or anxiety, but Lardani and her family didn’t really accept that diagnosis.
Finally, in February 2003, she visited Pennsylvania Hospital’s Movement Disorders Center.
"In a half-hour, the doctor diagnosed me with Parkinson’s disease," she said.
Surprisingly, Lardani, a Fox Chase native, said she wasn’t completely devastated by the news that she had Parkinson’s, a degenerative disease characterized by a rhythmic tremor and muscular rigidity, cased by degeneration in the base of the brain.
Dr. Stacy Horn told her that medication could largely control the tremor. And, the patient finally was given an answer to a problem she was beginning to think was all in her head.
"I was really kind of relieved," she said.
Kathy Lardani, Jenn’s mom, spent countless hours on the Internet trying to find out more on her daughter’s problem. She described the news as a "double-edged sword." Jenn finally received a proper diagnosis, but it was a potentially severe condition.
"It was a bittersweet kind of thing," she said. "I was happy and sad at the same time."
Since that diagnosis, Jenn Lardani’s family and friends have rallied to her side and all people who have Parkinson’s.
Her loved ones have organized bowling parties, beef ’n’ beers and Broadway musical concerts, all to raise money for organizations dedicated to finding a cure for Parkinson’s, or at least ways to slow the progression of the disease.
On Saturday, about 40 of them will participate in the sixth annual Walk for Parkinson’s on Kelly Drive. Participants can choose various lengths, up to 10 miles. Some plan to complete what they’re calling the "10 for Jenn."
Proceeds benefit the Bala Cynwyd-based Parkinson Council.
"It really gives you purpose," Lardani said. "It’s something we look forward to. You feel good because you’re helping to find a cure."
In the three previous years, the group attended a fund-raising walk in New York. Fellow walkers included actor Michael J. Fox and former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno, both Parkinson’s sufferers, along with Maryum "May May" Ali, daughter of another Parkinson’s patient, former boxer Muhammad Ali.
Lardani and her supporters have fun when they get together to raise money for the cause. Even their team name — "Jenn’s Movers and Shakers" — is an attempt at humor.
"We do it mainly for Jennifer," Kathy Lardani said of fund-raising efforts, "but we also do it for the overall benefit of a Parkinson’s organization."
A year ago, the Movers and Shakers raised $8,000 and want to exceed that figure this year.
They’re especially happy to be participating in an event that will be raising money that will benefit a local organization. The Parkinson Council, the area chapter of the National Parkinson Foundation, focuses on research, education and improving the quality of life of patients.
For Jenn Lardani, her quality of life is pretty good.
"I feel fine," she said. "No one would really know I had Parkinson’s."
Lardani, who turns 29 on Thursday, April 19, attended St. Cecilia Elementary School, Nazareth Academy High School and Cabrini College.
Today, she’s a special education teacher at Primos Elementary School, in the Upper Darby School District. She no longer has problems writing on the board in her classroom. She lives in Lansdowne but will soon make settlement on a house in Collingdale, Delaware County.
Five times a day, she takes a relatively low dose of Requip, and expects to be on medication for the rest of her life. As the cliché goes, she’s taking it one day at a time.
"If I manage it, I’ll be fine," she said of the disease.
Lardani is much more open about Parkinson’s than she was four years ago. After the initial diagnosis, she was a little bit in denial and didn’t want to discuss the matter. She attended a support group meeting for young people with Parkinson’s, but everyone else in attendance was at least 20 years older.
Despite her medical challenges, Lardani is grateful for the support of her family and friends. She plans to stay optimistic.
"It keeps you going," she said. ••
Reporter Tom Waring can be reached at 215-354-3034 or twaring@phillynews.com

Walk the walk

The sixth annual Walk for Parkinson’s, sponsored by the Parkinson Council, will take place on Saturday on Kelly Drive. Registration begins at 8 a.m. The walk starts at 9 a.m. outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The cost is $25.
To make a donation to Jenn Lardani’s team, visit www.theparkinsoncouncil.org
Click on "Sixth Annual Walk for Parkinson’s," then "Register" and "Sponsor Participant." Type in "Lardani."
For more information, call 610-668-4292.