It has been a year since WTMJ’s Julia Fello shared her husband Jason’s heartbreaking diagnosis, that at 39 years old, he was diagnosed with Early Onset Parkinson’s Disease.
They shared their story publicly, to encourage everyone to go to the doctor if they feel something is wrong with their health. In Jason’s case, he did not get the right answer about his health for several years. He encouraged people to never give up, and to go to another doctor altogether, to get the answers you need.
Jason joined us on Wisconsin’s Afternoon News to share the next lesson he’s learned since his diagnosis, which involves insurance coverage. A life-changing drug he had been taking for the last year, was no longer covered by insurance. Despite three appeals with letters from his doctor sharing it would be detrimental to his quality of life, if he stopped medication, it still was not covered. In hopes to help others who may be in the same boat, he shares the way he was able to get coverage for this year. Listen to the conversation in the player above for Jason’s new update.
We also had the President of the Parkinson’s Foundation Midwest Chapter back on with us, Bob Bansfield, who is also diagnosed with Parkinson’s. Bob shared the experimental brain surgery he is expected to go through by this fall. It involves injecting stem cells in the area of the brain where dopamine is produced, in hopes to reduce his symptoms. You can learn more about the study he is involved in through this link: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-08845-y
Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a movement disorder that affects the nerve cells in the brain, leading to a loss of dopamine production. The dopamine deficiency can cause slow movements, stiffness and tremors. It is a progressive disease, meaning symptoms worsen over time. There is no cure.
There is hope with the help of funding research and better care for patients, through the Parkinson’s Foundation. At the beginning of May, Julia, Jason & Bob volunteered for Parkinson’s Foundation Moving Day Milwaukee. They surpassed their fundraising goal, reaching a total of more than $66,000. All of it will go to this worthy non-profit.
Follow this link to learn more about the Parkinson’s Foundation:Â https://www.parkinson.org/midwest
