"'I'm fighting it, you gotta fight it! You gotta take it head-on, because this s- ain't going away! Thirty-five years after we sparred in the Dodger clubhouse, Gibson and I have found ourselves on the same team. We both have Parkinson's Disease, and he spent much of a recent 45-minute phone call pushing me to battle the incurable illness the way he once battled a certain backdoor slider."
""Is it fun being depressed? You cannot succumb!" It's that time of year when folks talk about arguably the greatest moment in Dodger history, Gibson's one-legged, two-run homer against future Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley to win the World Series opener against the Oakland Athletics and spark the team to a 1988 championship. For many, an indelible memory. But in many ways, he's no longer the same Kirk Gibson. In 2015, he was diagnosed with Parkinson's, a progressive neurological disorder that affects movement."
Kirk Gibson and a former Dodgers beat journalist both have Parkinson's Disease. Gibson urges confronting the progressive neurological disorder directly and resisting depression. His iconic one-legged, two-run 1988 World Series homer remains a defining moment, but Parkinson's has altered his movement and strength. Diagnosed in 2015, Gibson now channels his competitive fire into patient support. On Oct. 6 he will open the Kirk Gibson Center for Parkinson's Wellness in Farmington Hills. The 30,000-square-foot facility includes two gyms, a track, and multiple spaces for movement classes to aid rehabilitation and community for Parkinson's patients.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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