Mountain State Times

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) joined George Manahan, head of the Charleston Parkinson’s Support Group, representatives from the Michael J. Fox Foundation, members of the West Virginia Parkinson’s Support Network, and local leaders in Charleston to celebrate the National Plan to End Parkinson’s Act becoming law. During the event, Senator Capito was honored with the Parkinson’s MVP Champion Award for her work on this legislation and her efforts in Congress to address neurological disorders.

“While I am honored to receive the Parkinson’s MVP Champion Award, I am prouder that we have successfully created the first-ever law solely devoted to addressing and curing Parkinson’s disease. I am so thankful for the continued advocacy and support of George Manahan and the Charleston Parkinson’s Support Group, the West Virginia Parkinson’s Support Network, the Michael J. Fox Foundation, and all those in West Virginia who are impacted by this disease. Without them, our success would not be possible. Every day, members of the Parkinson’s community face challenges created by this disease head on. This law is for them, and we must continue working together to make a world without Parkinson’s disease a reality,” Senator Capito said.

Senator Capito first introduced the National Plan to End Parkinson’s Act in September 2022 and reintroduced the legislation in March 2023. Her efforts to address Parkinson's disease stem from conversations and visits she has had directly with West Virginians impacted by the disease.

In November 2022, Senator Capito attended a boxing class for people with Parkinson's disease at the Charleston YMCA where she learned about efforts to slow its progression. Additionally, she frequently discusses support for individuals with neurological diseases with medical leadership at both national and state levels, particularly at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and West Virginia University’s (WVU) Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute (RNI).

The National Plan to End Parkinson's Act will create an advisory council comprising members of federal agencies that support research, care, and services for Parkinson's patients along with caregivers and other non-federal experts.

Specifically, the council will:

- Ensure coordination among federal entities responsible for managing, treating, and curing Parkinson's disease;

- Evaluate all current federal programs related to Parkinson's;

- Write a national plan to prevent and cure Parkinson's while reducing its financial impact on patients and the federal government;

- Report progress toward these goals to Congress.

Photos from yesterday's event include U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) with George Manahan at a reception celebrating the National Plan to End Parkinson’s Act in Charleston on Monday.