We recently connected with Dr George Ackerman and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Dr George, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?
My Mother, Sharon Ackerman and my story of the struggle that Parkinson’s Disease caused her and my entire family.
She had Parsons’s disease for 15 years but it never started to affect major life abilities significantly until around 2014. She was still able to function and spend her favorite day of the week, Sundays with us in the backyard, blowing bubbles with her grandkids, eating the best meals we could find for that day while arguing with everyone where to eat or what to eat. Those funny arguments I will miss.
1/1/2020 was the start of www.togetherforsharon.com My main focus in life today is Parkinson’s disease awareness and hope for a cure in my mother, Sharon Riff Ackerman’s memory. My number one drive is togetherforsharon.com Sadly my mother, Sharon Riff Ackerman passed away on1/1/2020 due to Parkinson’s Disease and dementia. My mother lived with Parkinson’s for decades, but it started to affect her daily activities in 2014. Up until then she was able to spend her favorite day of the week, Sunday, with us in the backyard, blowing bubbles with her grandkids, eating the best meals we could find, but only after a lively debate over where and what she wanted to eat. I miss those funny arguments. I also create videos on awareness to share for awareness. I also participated in podcasts, interviews, articles, television, radio, blogs and magazines to ensure my mother’s story is never forgotten.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
Dr. George Ackerman (Sharon’s son) is from Brooklyn, N.Y. Now residing in Florida, he works in the fields of law, police, and education. George lost his mother, Sharon Riff Ackerman on 1/1/2020 due to Parkinson’s Disease. George wanted to honor his mother and continue to help in the Parkinson’s awareness cause and did not know how to bring change. We started TogetherForSharon® as a family for the purpose of keeping my mother, Sharon Riff Ackerman’s, memory alive and to share the message of Parkinson’s Awareness and hope for a cure.
Today https://www.togetherforsharon.com/ reaches thousands of individuals across the country for PD Awareness. George currently interviews individuals throughout the Parkinson’s community including various foundations, caregivers, and Parkinson’s warriors to help share their stories and causes.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Care, Love and support. My family createdtogetherforsharon.com for Parkinson’s awareness & hope for a cure. I wanted a place where people could find information since I could not when I needed help desperately. “My mother was the most caring, loving, positive person I know, and always put her family and friends first” Sharon’s son, George. We help fundraise and participate in events for the American Parkinson’s Disease Association (Optimism Walk), Parkinson’s Foundation (Moving Day) and Team Fox, the Michael J Fox Foundation. All donations that go to those organizations have a direct link in my mother’s memory at togetherforsharon.com Partnerships
I have met so many incredible people who are also going through the effects of this horrible disease and caretakers. I have partnered with organizations around the world and feature them on social media and togetherforsharon.com to reach more individuals around the world together. My main objective is to continue to raise awareness in my mother’s memory. I am confident helping awareness will lead to a cure someday. I need everyone’s help to share my mother’s story with one person, wear the band or just follow togetherforsharon.com on social media or email me directly at togetherforsharon@gmail.com
If you knew you only had a decade of life left, how would you spend that decade?
I am grateful for the opportunity to share my mother’s story. I am just the son of an incredible woman who deserved better then and if we had a cure, she would still be with us right now. She was too young to pass away and missed out on 15 years of her life struggling with Parkinson’s disease. I miss her every second of every day. She was my best friend.
Sharon’s son,
George
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.togetherforsharon.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/togetherforsharon/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/togetherforsharon112020
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-ackerman-ph-d-esq-mba-00871a82/
- Twitter: https://www.instagram.com/togetherforsharon/
