‘People look at me and say I’m drunk’
Thomas McCallum first realised there was something wrong when he struggled to play guitar.
He had taken six months away from the instrument after recording an album, and when he returned to practice, found he had developed a tremor in his hand. After a year of consultations, the now 59-yearold was diagnosed with Parkinson’s.
“It was a big shock but I hit the road running,” said the dad-of-two, who received his diagnosis in 2017. “I started trying to keep myself fitter, changing my diet, and losing a bit of weight .”
McCallum says raising awareness of the condition – including with shows like The Suspect – will help improve general understanding of the symptoms, as well as the fact that Parkinson’s can affect anyone, young and old.
He said: “In the past I’ve been accused of being drunk because I have a tremor. Someone will say, ‘Oh you had a good night last night’.
“It’s simple things like security guards in shops looking at me thinking, ‘He looks drunk to me’, too.
“I wear a lanyard now that explains I have Parkinson’s and I might need more time, and people sometimes ask if I need any help. But you’ve still have to explain, and there needs to be more awareness.
“I want people to listen to the patient because we know more about the condition than most – we live with it every day.”