Soneji, M. (n.d.). Simple hacks for life with
Parkinson's. Retrieved from
https://www.ted.com/talks/mileha_soneji_simple_hacks_for_life_with_parkinson_s
In this TedTalk, Mileha Soneji talks about her uncle who was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. She talks about how her uncle went from being a confident, independent person, to someone who had tremors, as a symptoms of this disease, with caused issues with tasks as simple as drinking coffee. Therefore, this resulted in him being less independent and somewhat embarrassed. She also discusses how her uncle used a walker to get around, and how for each turn he took he had to take one step at a time rather than being able to turn in one fluid motion, which took a significant amount of time. Mileha wanted to help her uncle and others with Parkinson's so she set out, not to "cure" Parkinson's, but maybe make it a little more manageable.
With her uncle in mind, Mileha invented "the no-spill cup." It is a cup that is rounded off around the rim, so if liquid reaches the edge, it will not spill out. It also looks like a normal cup so it cuts down on the attention that could be drawn to them in a public setting. This could be very beneficial to individuals with tremors, like her uncle, so they can enjoy coffee or tea whenever they want.
I chose to do this assignment on Parkinson's disease, because I honestly find it very interesting. I actually had a class this morning where we briefly discussed Parkinson's and it sparked my interest immediately. I know a few people who have Parkinson's disease, and again, I found it so interesting, and have always wanted to learn more. Therefore, I took this opportunity to do just that!
This is also how I furthered my learning, I tried to think about some of the different aspects we discussed in my pathology class related to Parkinson's disease when listening to Mileha talk about her uncle, and also watching the videos. I was able to make connections between what we learned in that class to what she was saying and it definitely helped with learning the overall concept of Parkinson's disease.
I have learned that Parkinson's Disease is a disease that causes degeneration of the nervous system. It can cause tremors when the person is sitting still, or when they are about to initiate a movement. However, during a fluid motion, the tremors subside. Mileha gave the example of her uncle trying to walk downstairs. She actually has a video of him doing this, and she said, during her lecture, that she couldn't believe he was about to do this without his walker. Miraculously, he was able to do this with no problem at all. There is also something called "freezing" that is associated with Parkinson's disease. This happens when the person is trying to initiate a movement or immediately finishing a movement. They literally "freeze" in that moment and they want to do the specific movement or motion but it just doesn't happen for them as soon as they decide to move. It may take a moment to start or they may want to continue, but they just can't.
Again, with her uncle in mind, Mileha set out to help him walk on flat ground. Like I said before, he had no problem with stairs but flat ground was a different story. She tried something she called "staircase illusion." She literally made the flat ground look like a staircase using everyday equipment that most people have around their house. When her uncle stepped up to that part of the floor, he was able to walk with no problem!
I really enjoyed this TedTalk and learned so much about how to simply make someone's life more meaningful to them. Mileha made it a point to say she didn't make the illusion out of google glass or something complex, she was a low tech as possible with her invention, and it made a HUGE impact in this person's life. I admire her diligence, and practicality with her inventions because you could tell, she thought of not only the objects being helpful, but they weren't "flashy" or "over-the-top" so therefore, they were very beneficial in helping individuals with this disease feel more confident and independent. This is something that OTs put a lot of emphasis on when working with clients, we want to help people be as independent as possible, and help them do things they love and find meaningful.
If you would like to learn more, I highly suggest watching this TedTalk! It be found by using the link below.
https://www.ted.com/talks/mileha_soneji_simple_hacks_for_life_with_parkinson_s#t-301335
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