0:00:10 > 0:00:14Watching someone you love slowly deteriorate because of a progressive
0:00:14 > 0:00:18neurological condition is something I'm very familiar with.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21My father lived with Parkinson's for many years.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24I can't tell you how difficult it is to accept how a person
0:00:24 > 0:00:28can change so much, through no choice of their own.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31Sadly, my father isn't alone in that situation,
0:00:31 > 0:00:35because every hour, a person in the United Kingdom
0:00:35 > 0:00:39is told that they, too, will face the same fate.
0:00:39 > 0:00:41Three years ago, Sarah Webb
0:00:41 > 0:00:45experienced the joy of becoming a mother for the second time.
0:00:45 > 0:00:49But soon after, she began to notice some worrying changes.
0:00:49 > 0:00:50I was bottle feeding him
0:00:50 > 0:00:53and my mum looked at me and said, "Sarah, why is your hand moving?"
0:00:53 > 0:00:55And I said, "I can't control it."
0:00:55 > 0:00:58I just thought I was over-tired and just said to her, "I must...
0:00:58 > 0:01:00"I need more sleep."
0:01:00 > 0:01:03But the symptoms didn't go away and, aged just 40,
0:01:03 > 0:01:06Sarah was diagnosed with Parkinson's.
0:01:06 > 0:01:09I think it was the biggest shock of my life.
0:01:09 > 0:01:13After being diagnosed, all I could think about was my children.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16And it still upsets me now.
0:01:16 > 0:01:18I was just crying for them.
0:01:18 > 0:01:20And their reactions,
0:01:20 > 0:01:24and how they're going to grow up with someone who's got Parkinson's.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27Sarah tried her best to carry on as if nothing had changed.
0:01:27 > 0:01:29When I go to the school run,
0:01:29 > 0:01:31I didn't tell any of the mums there at all.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34But sometimes I noticed people look down at my hand
0:01:34 > 0:01:36and think, "Oh, what's wrong with Sarah?"
0:01:36 > 0:01:39But I just thought, "Oh, they won't notice, I'll be fine."
0:01:39 > 0:01:43Before long, it became impossible to ignore her Parkinson's.
0:01:43 > 0:01:44The symptoms started
0:01:44 > 0:01:47on the left side in my arm.
0:01:47 > 0:01:51I would get a tremor and then I was in pain
0:01:51 > 0:01:53and I was aching.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56But what I am so, so determined to do is wake up
0:01:56 > 0:01:59with a smile on my face...
0:01:59 > 0:02:01so my kids...
0:02:03 > 0:02:05..don't know mummy is sick.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13Learning that you or a loved one has been diagnosed with Parkinson's
0:02:13 > 0:02:16can be an extremely distressing time for all concerned.
0:02:16 > 0:02:20That's why I'm appealing to you on behalf of Parkinson's UK -
0:02:20 > 0:02:23a charity that funds much-needed research
0:02:23 > 0:02:26and delivers information, support and specialised nursing care
0:02:26 > 0:02:29to people living with this debilitating condition.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34Before his diagnosis, 77-year-old Peter Baker
0:02:34 > 0:02:36worked as a travelling salesman
0:02:36 > 0:02:40I would be calling on buyers in china, glass and gift shops.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43And you had to make as many calls as you possibly could
0:02:43 > 0:02:46during the day to make your money.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50The demanding job required him to be constantly on the move,
0:02:50 > 0:02:54but then he noticed the telltale signs of Parkinson's.
0:02:54 > 0:02:58Well, I was dragging my feet, definitely, and had the shakes.
0:02:58 > 0:03:00And I got tired very easily.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03Peter was forced to give up the job he loved.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06Moving in to retirement should feel liberating, but for Peter
0:03:06 > 0:03:09and his wife, the coming years suddenly looked very different.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12Our lives were going to be based around bird-watching,
0:03:12 > 0:03:15walking and visiting stately homes.
0:03:15 > 0:03:17We had it all mapped out, really.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20But, of course, that had to eventually go by the board.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24And, yes, if I'm honest, there are tears occasionally,
0:03:24 > 0:03:27because I feel everything has got out of control.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31It's not a pleasant life when it gets to a certain stage.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34And, of course, it's going to get more difficult, as well,
0:03:34 > 0:03:36which is not a nice thought.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41Parkinson's UK ensure that people living with the condition,
0:03:41 > 0:03:45and those around them, are given the best possible care.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47They provide much-needed specialised nurses,
0:03:47 > 0:03:50who have assisted tens of thousands of people
0:03:50 > 0:03:53to manage their condition more effectively.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55Typically, somebody affected by Parkinson's
0:03:55 > 0:03:59might see their medical specialist a couple of times in a year,
0:03:59 > 0:04:01but clearly they will need support
0:04:01 > 0:04:03in managing the wide range of symptoms
0:04:03 > 0:04:06that can affect every aspect of everyday life.
0:04:06 > 0:04:10Unfortunately, there aren't enough specialist nurses in the NHS
0:04:10 > 0:04:14to cover the huge caseload of patients, but Parkinson's UK
0:04:14 > 0:04:17have provided funding for 350 specialist nurses
0:04:17 > 0:04:19around the country.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22Having somebody to support with things like pain,
0:04:22 > 0:04:24difficulty sleeping,
0:04:24 > 0:04:27constipation, etc, that have a real impact on people's quality of life
0:04:27 > 0:04:29is absolutely crucial,
0:04:29 > 0:04:32and that's why we've been really pushing
0:04:32 > 0:04:34to get Parkinson's nurses right across the UK
0:04:34 > 0:04:38so that nobody has to face Parkinson's alone.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40What those living with the condition really appreciate
0:04:40 > 0:04:44is that a Parkinson's nurse becomes a familiar face.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46That familiarity is crucial
0:04:46 > 0:04:50when it comes to spotting the signs of how the condition is progressing,
0:04:50 > 0:04:54and therefore what new help or medication needs to be given.
0:04:54 > 0:04:55Parkinson's nurse Pete Smith
0:04:55 > 0:04:58has been visiting Peter for three years now,
0:04:58 > 0:05:01and has built up a vital relationship that means
0:05:01 > 0:05:03that changes in his symptoms can be spotted quickly.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06- Hello, sir.- Morning, Pete. How are you?
0:05:06 > 0:05:08- Not bad, thank you. - Nice to see you.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11Good to see you again. I wondered if we could look at your walking.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13He'll quite often spot things
0:05:13 > 0:05:15that I haven't, sort of thing, you know.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18He'll pick things up in my manner or the way I move.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21Pete's skill in noticing changes in Peter's condition
0:05:21 > 0:05:25and acting quickly has improved his quality of life hugely.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27A neurologist working on his own
0:05:27 > 0:05:32couldn't possibly cover the ground as often as Pete does.
0:05:32 > 0:05:36It has been an absolute joy to be able to give him a ring
0:05:36 > 0:05:39and he's written direct to my doctor and said, "If Mr Baker feels
0:05:39 > 0:05:41"he needs to take this extra tablet
0:05:41 > 0:05:45"at such and such a time during the day, then it's OK with us."
0:05:45 > 0:05:50And it's saved a lot of time and brought a lot of relief to everybody.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52I think we are very, very lucky to have him.
0:05:54 > 0:05:58Sarah decided she wasn't able to cope with her condition alone
0:05:58 > 0:06:01and turned to a Parkinson's nurse for help.
0:06:01 > 0:06:06She was the first person that I had met in the medical profession
0:06:06 > 0:06:09that actually understood what I was going through.
0:06:09 > 0:06:14And when she said to me "How are you?" I knew she meant it
0:06:14 > 0:06:18and I knew that she wanted to hear how I was.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20And would listen.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23Armed with a new outlook on her condition,
0:06:23 > 0:06:26Sarah now sees her Parkinson's nurse regularly
0:06:26 > 0:06:30and can call on her any time she has concerns.
0:06:30 > 0:06:31They have all the knowledge
0:06:31 > 0:06:35and all the information that we need. So, for example,
0:06:35 > 0:06:39if I needed to go and see a physio or a speech therapist
0:06:39 > 0:06:44then she would know who to send me to, and just having someone
0:06:44 > 0:06:48that you completely trust, who you know is on your side,
0:06:48 > 0:06:52who's there 24 hours a day, seven days a week if I needed to,
0:06:52 > 0:06:54is just amazing.
0:06:54 > 0:06:58It's just such a relief, because it just takes so much pressure off you.
0:06:58 > 0:07:02Knowing her nurse was always there gave Sarah the strength to carry on.
0:07:02 > 0:07:07When life gets tough you get stronger, don't you, really?
0:07:07 > 0:07:09And I feel like that with my family, definitely -
0:07:09 > 0:07:12it's brought us all closer together.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14And we're all fighting it together.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19With our ageing population, it's estimated that by 2020
0:07:19 > 0:07:21the number of people with Parkinson's
0:07:21 > 0:07:24will rise by almost a third.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27And, at the moment, almost half the people with the condition
0:07:27 > 0:07:31haven't seen a specialist nurse in the last 12 months.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35There are about 17,500 people living with Parkinson's
0:07:35 > 0:07:40across the UK without any access to a specialist nurse.
0:07:40 > 0:07:44To put this right, we desperately need a minimum of 50 additional
0:07:44 > 0:07:48Parkinson's nurses to deliver the most basic standards of care
0:07:48 > 0:07:52to those living with this debilitating condition.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55And you can make that happen.
0:07:55 > 0:07:56Please go to the website...
0:07:59 > 0:08:01..where you can donate.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04If you don't have access to the internet, then call...
0:08:07 > 0:08:11And, if you can't get through, please keep trying.
0:08:11 > 0:08:13You can also donate £10 simply by texting...
0:08:17 > 0:08:21Texts cost £10 plus your standard network message charge
0:08:21 > 0:08:24and the whole £10 goes to Parkinson's UK.
0:08:24 > 0:08:29Full terms and conditions can be found at bbc.co.uk/lifeline.
0:08:29 > 0:08:31Telephone calls are free from most landlines.
0:08:31 > 0:08:35Some networks and mobile operators will charge for these calls.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38Or if you'd like to post a donation, please make your cheque payable
0:08:38 > 0:08:43to Parkinson's UK and send it to Freepost, BBC Lifeline Appeal,
0:08:43 > 0:08:47writing "Parkinson's UK" on the back of the envelope.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50And if you want the charity to claim Gift Aid on your donation,
0:08:50 > 0:08:52please include an email or postal address
0:08:52 > 0:08:55so that they can send you a Gift Aid form.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57Thank you.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd