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Parkinson's patients fight the disease by playing cricket in Dubai

Dubai - Tilani, who was diagnosed with the disease in 2006, has lived and worked in the UAE for 40 years.

Fifty-nine-year-old Naresh Tilani takes a few breaths before bowling for the next over. Though his movements are rigid, Tilani manages to throw a perfect ball to his teammate.
Tilani, a patient with Parkinson's disease and his community of friends with the disorder, were participating in 'VFS Tasheel and Movement Mantra Hold Indoor Cricket Tournament', held as part of the Parkinson's Awareness Month on Saturday at Insportz, Al Qouz.
Held under the VFS Tasheel's CSR programme, 'Involve', the event took place in support of the Movement Mantra, which focuses on rehabilitation of people with mobility challenges. There are an estimated 4,250 cases of Parkinson's in Dubai and potentially over 72,000 in the GCC.
For the tournament, two cricket teams of eight members were formed, which included people with Parkinson's, family members and volunteers from Movement Mantra.
"I used to play a lot of cricket in my younger years. Now I do play sometimes, but not that often. However, I exercise every day," Tilani told Khaleej Times.
Tilani, who was diagnosed with the disease in 2006, has lived and worked in the UAE for 40 years. "I try and hit the gym every day. Movement and regular exercise helps me feel more relaxed," he added.
Another Dubai resident and Parkinson's patient Ramesh Nair, said: "I try and play football a few days in a week and exercise happens every day. It is essential that more public facilities are built to suit the needs of people with Parkinson's."
Vonita Singh, a Kathak dancer and the founder of Movement Mantra, said: "When I started out I had one student, today we've grown into an organisation that is home for almost 20 plus students with Parkinson's disorder."
Singh, whose father also suffered from Parkinson's said: "People of all age groups have Parkinson's and it is not necessarily always hereditary. In some cases, the disease could develop due to lifestyle choices. The youngest person in the UAE is an 18-years-old Emirati girl." 
Breaking the stigma
"More than the physicality of the disease, there are some serious stigmas attached with Parkinson's disorder. A lot of people think that old age causes the hand tremors and shakes... People are grossly misinformed," said Pooja Khullar, whose mother Neelam Khullar was diagnosed with the diseases three and a half years ago.
Neelam said: "It would be better if there were more awareness, more volunteers and more public spaces in parks for people who have Parkinson's."
The most significant aspects of these groups are that a new community has been formed and like-minded individuals can now get together to fight a common disease.
"My mum did not know how to use Whatsapp before her diagnosis. Today, she wakes up every morning to speak to her friends through the social networking website," said Khullar.
Movement Mantra plays a seminal role in building public awareness of Parkinson's disease across the GCC. "Our Parkinson's programme has progressed very well ever since we launched it in early 2017," said Ajit Alexander, CEO, VFS Tasheel.
What is Parkinson's disease?
Parkinson's is a neurodegenerative disease that affects movement, which usually means that patients suffer from stiff muscles, poor balance and a hoarse voice.  The disease was named after English doctor James Parkinson, and in 1817, James explained Parkinson's by publishing 'An Essay on the Shaking Palsy'. Marking his birthday, April 11 is celebrated as the World Parkinson's Awareness Day, and April is celebrated as World Parkinson's Awareness month.
dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com