Neuro Note 3 "Muhammad Ali"

“Attitude is Everything”

For this neuro-note I wanted to a look at the life of boxing legend Muhammad Ali, and some pointers his daughter gave to people who have family members battling Parkinson’s disease, in a special article she was interviewed in. A major reason I chose this topic, was because of the respect I have always had for Ali, and the awesome things he did in his career as a boxer. It’s always a strange feeling to see someone as legendary as Ali be diagnosed with an incurable disease. I mentioned that I admire what he did in the boxing, but I have even more admiration for what he did after his diagnoses in 1984. Ali lived life to the best of his ability, and had a huge impact on Parkinson’s research. In the article that Ali’s daughter gave insight to her father’s life after Parkinson’s, she gave some very good information on how we should treat loved ones battling this annoying disease. One of the biggest things she mentioned was being proactive. Don’t just let your loved one sit around and be depressed, get them outside and encourage them to enjoy hobbies that they are still able to do. She also mentions the importance of “gang prevention”, and how the entire family should understand the disease. The better the family understands it, the better they can meet the needs of their loved one. Ali’s daughter also stressed the importance of understanding that the diagnosis does not mean that your life is over by any stretch of the imagination. There will be some adjustments and accommodations needed, but the loved one is still capable of living a great life. Lastly Ali’s daughter talked about the importance of keeping a low stress system for her dad, basically she summed everything up with this quote, “treat him like he’s regular, be regular with him, it lifts the spirits up.”

In reflection, I believe everything Ali’s daughter brought up was very important information for family members to think about, when someone they love is dealing with any kind of disease, not just Parkinson’s. As a future OT, I’m going to have the opportunity to educate family members on how their outlook should be when caring for their loved ones after a new diagnosis.  Family members might be surprised how quickly life can change from one diagnosis, and how they feel like they’re being thrown into a very stressful situation that they didn’t sign up for. In a very positive and understanding manner, I’m going to do my best to explain that “Attitude is Everything”. As Ali’s daughter stated, “life does not end after one diagnoses.” I understand that every situation is different, and that dealing with this change is a lot easier said than done. I will always do my best to show the client and their caregiver that I will do everything in my power to help/educate them on how to make the most their new life, and that they always have my support and knowledge. Life is going to be what they decide to make of it, every day they have a choice to be positive or negative. My goal is to always influence them in the positive direction.

*Title of Article:

Muhammad Ali's Eldest Daughter Shares Memories of Her Dad and Hope for Those with Parkinson's: 'Attitude Is Everything'

References 

Herbst, D. (2016, August 25). Muhammad Ali’s Eldest Daughter Maryum Shares Memories. Retrieved 

from http://people.com/celebrity/muhammad-alis-eldest-daughter-maryum-shares-memories/