Ed FitzGerald, 50, was running with his wife Abby, 49, when she pointed out that something was wrong with his arm – and he’s now running the London Marathon for Cure Parkinson’s
A man found out about his Parkinson’s diagnosis after his wife’s subtle observation about the way he was jogging.
While running with Abby, also 49, she realised something unusual — husband Ed FitzGerald’s arm wasn’t swinging. Initially dismissing the concern as a minor nerve issue and experiencing difficulties typing, Ed eventually consulted his GP. The diagnosis was Parkinson’s, a brain condition that gets worse over time.
The 50-year-old marketing director said: “My wife kept telling me, ‘make sure you swing your arm’.” He admitted ignorance about Parkinson’s early signs, saying: “I thought it might be something to do with a trapped nerve, but I didn’t think much of it.
“If I knew what I know now about the symptoms of Parkinson’s, I might have known something was wrong sooner.” Abby, who works at Greenwich University, shared her initial observation: “Ed and I have always enjoyed running together, but about 18 months ago, I noticed that his left arm wasn’t swinging when he ran.”
Her lack of worry was due to limited knowledge, she said. “To be honest, I didn’t think too much about it; certainly the idea of Parkinson’s never entered my head for a second. I didn’t know a lot about Parkinson’s and wrongly assumed that it was a disease that only affected older people.”
The revelation that Ed had Parkinson’s disease came as a profound shock to his loved ones. Known for his vitality, the thought of him being restricted from enjoying his passions was devastating.
While on a trip, Ed noticed something was off with his arm movement but didn’t connect the dots at the time. He recalled, “One year, we were on holiday in Lanzarote, and I noticed a lack of mobility in my arm, but at the time I didn’t make the connection.”
He also dismissed prolonged exhaustion as a byproduct of overworking, saying: “I also had extreme fatigue for a long time, but I thought I was just knackered from working too much.”
Abby, who works at Greenwich University, spotted an irregularity with Ed’s arm swing in summer 2023, but he downplayed it. However, by October 2023, when typing became a struggle, Ed sought medical advice.
The diagnosis came in December after scans. “The doctor said something like, ‘how do you want the bad news?’ and told me I either had a stroke or have Parkinson’s – but said it was more likely to be Parkinson’s.”
Refusing to let the diagnosis defeat him, Ed decided to run the London Marathon to fundraise for Cure Parkinson’s towards the end of last year. He expressed his determination: “I wanted to give something back and do something positive. I knew that I could wallow in a pit of despair or make something good out of it.”
His decision to support Cure Parkinson’s was influenced by the early assistance he received from the charity following his diagnosis. He revealed: “I was lucky very early in my diagnosis to be put in touch with the chief executive of Cure Parkinson’s, Helen Matthews, who no doubt is exceedingly busy but still found time to give me some advice. The charity has been very good to me, and I wanted to give back to them.”
Since kicking off his fundraising efforts in August 2024, Ed has successfully amassed over £12,500. Ed expressed his gratitude saying: “I have been really humbled that people have dug so deep to help a cause that’s very personal to me. People are donating who I haven’t seen for years, people I have never met, friends of friends, colleagues-people from all parts of my life. It’s been really heartwarming.”
Running the marathon carries special meaning for Ed, especially since his wife completed it back in 2010 in aid of another significant cause. He remarked: “Part of the reason the London Marathon was right for me was because my wife ran it in support of a childhood leukaemia charity after my son was diagnosed with leukaemia at six-months-old. There’s a strange circularity to me running this marathon in that sense.”
With life adjustments post-diagnosis, Ed opened up about how things have shifted. He admitted: “I now have to work from home a lot and sometimes have to take a 30-minute nap in the middle of the day because I’m so exhausted. At first, I was worried about whether I’d be able to keep working with Parkinson’s, but I’ve been really supported by my colleagues at work.”
Though faced with daily challenges, Ed’s diagnosis has spurred him to integrate more physical activity into his routine, keeping his spirit resilient despite the fatigue. “The irony is that now I probably do more exercise than I did before.”
Expanding on his newfound enthusiasm for fitness, he said: “I do a greater variety of sports now. I even took up non-combat boxing because the research suggests the more active you remain, the slower the progression of symptoms is likely to be.”
Abby chimed in with her thoughts about his journey: “He’s tackled this challenge as he approaches everything in life – with huge determination – he’s taken his training really seriously and is often up running before sunrise.”
She gushed with pride, saying, “I’m incredibly proud of him. The fact that he’s raised so much money for Cure Parkinson’s is amazing, and hopefully brings this fantastic charity one step close to finding a cure.”
Cheer on Ed’s commendable cause by visiting his fundraising page here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/ed-fitzgerald-1721573914192.