Anne’s art disguises pain of Parkinson’s
When a letter arrived telling Warragul woman Anne Atkin that she was to be made a Member of the Order of Australia (general division) yesterday’s Queen’s Birthday honours it came as a bit of a shock.
But it was nowhere the shock 20 years ago when she visited an orthopedic surgeon following a period of not feeling the best.
She said the surgeon took one look at her and said she had Parkinson’s disease.
That diagnosis not only sparked a major change in Mrs Atkin’s life but also led to some serious thinking about what she could to do manage the inevitable effects it would have on her and to try to help others in similar situations.
A comment to her by medicos that she was more than likely to need to be placed into permanent care within five years was another shock and more inspiration to fight back as strongly as she could.
Fifteen years later she is living at her Warragul home where she and husband Gordon moved two-and-ahalf years ago from Hallam.
Mrs Atkin endures more than a fair share of pain but, outwardly, shows only a few signs of the effect Parkinson’s has on her health.
She said the initial diagnosis – “I was tripping over things and had trouble doing various day-to-day things“– brought an end to her teaching career.
A few years later Mrs Atkin founded Painting with Parkinson’s (Victoria) in Casey and still goes there weekly to help teach up to 15 others to paint. She’d like to
Accident clarified
An article in last week’s Gazette mentioned the circumstances of an accident at the intersection of Princes Way and the Princes Freeway onramp on May 22, 2011 involving Paralympian Jayden Warn.
The article failed to mention that the driver of the car in which Jayden was a passenger failed to give way at the give way sign. see something similar established at Warragul.
Painting had been one of her teaching specialties and the walls of her house are adorned with many striking landscape paintings she had done.
Mrs Atkin has also produced two books, on DVDs because they are easier than paper editions to handle by Parkinson’s sufferers, and is clearly proud that each have sold more than 100 copies.
She has further assisted Parkinson’s Victoria in an ambassador role and as a volunteer librarian.
The OAM is not the first recognition Mrs Atkin has received for her work for Parkinson’s.
She was the City of Casey’s volunteer of the year in 2011, won its Lindsay King arts award in 2012 and was named the city’s senior citizen of the year in 2013.
In 2012 she also received Parkinson’s Victoria’s Sir Zelman Cowen award for her service to the organisation (Sir Zelman, a former Governor-General, also suffered from Parkinson’s).
Describing a positive attitude, exercise and a good diet as important attributes in mitigating the effects of Parkinson’s, Mrs Atkin said the move to “beautiful” Warragul had also been a big plus.
Establishing with husband Gordon a garden at their new home had also been a big factor; “I love gardening,” Mrs Atkin said.