Kirk Gibson is itching for a game of ping-pong.
“You got your paddle?” Gibson asks a man.
Gibson stands rigidly in a recreation room at the Kirk Gibson Center for Parkinson’s Wellness in Farmington Hills. His ability to walk has changed over the last six months. He has a disease that is never the same. It seems to move like an evil force, landing in different spots, depending on the day. But he pushes himself to keep moving.
“No,” the man says.
“There’s four of them right there,” Gibson says, like he’s on a playground, egging a friend to play.
“I can play until 3,” the man says.
“Oh, we can get six games in,” Gibson says.
So, they start to play. Gibson, the former Tigers great, has a familiar look. Focused. Intense. Determined to win. Not just this game. But against Parkinson’s disease. Gibson was diagnosed in 2015. After using his foundation to raise money for research, Gibson started raising questions. What more could they do? Where could they make the biggest impact? How could they truly help people?
There are an estimated 35,000 people in Michigan with Parkinson’s — a progressive neurological disorder that primarily affects movement.
“My vision kept getting bigger and stronger and stronger,” Gibson says.
It has turned into one-stop shop to battle Parkinson’s disease — a place with everything from workout rooms to voice therapy to a music room. Best of all, it’s free.
The Center opened last fall, and it has turned into a tremendous success story. More than 800 people have signed up — way more than expected. Everything about the Center seems magical. The vibe is incredible. The culture feels like a team. And hundreds of people have already been helped.
“You can feel something special here,” I say.
“I say there’s a secret behind that,” Gibson says.
To find out about that secret and read more about Gibson’s, head here.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Kirk Gibson bringing a dose of 1984 Tigers magic to Parkinson’s fight
Reporting by Jeff Seidel, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
