Hi Mary, Dan and John. . . . my name is John Cox. I am 50 years old and a career firefighter in the Hudson Valley New York (about 60 miles north of NYC). I currently have almost 19 years on the job and have been in private sector EMS since the late 80’s. I was diagnosed in 2017, however, I was symptomatic (although we didn’t understand at the time) probably closer to 2012. I am still working, however, I have been reassigned to a desk job which is easier on me and less stressful since I don’t have to worry about my partners getting hurt because of me.
For those of you in New York State pay attention to NYS Senate Bill S8012 / NYS Assembly Bill A9917Â introduced this year to recognize Parkinson’s Disease as a presumptive for Career Firefighter’s
Stay Safe!
-John