Dr. George Ackerman: Honoring a Mother’s Memory
Today 5/12/2024 is Mother’s Day. A day honoring the women who have put in the time, effort, and sacrifices for their families. A mother is something everyone deserves, and those who can enjoy today with theirs have an amazing privilege. A privilege many others don’t, and such person is Dr. George Ackerman. His mother, Sharon Ackerman, was his best friend and biggest inspiration, and once she passed away from Parkinson’s Disease, he dedicated the rest of his life to fighting against it. He started his website “Together For Sharon” and since then has been making great strides in his advocate journey. Prior to this life, he was a police officer, attorney, and now a professor in criminal justice. In that regard, he’s been fighting to save people his entire life.
Being an advocate
After Together For Sharon was created, Dr. Ackerman has interviewed hundreds of people from numerous countries on their experience with Parkinson’s. Their accounts let him know the obvious, “Parkinson’s doesn’t discriminate.” Still, Dr. Ackerman let them know their voices were heard, and with this information, he would add it to his website to spread awareness of the disease. Adding on to this, he’s partnered with organizations including the Michael J. Fox Foundation, having even met the legendary actor, has attended unity walks, and even been on podcasts. One thing he always wants to let people when he’s on the platforms, “You’re never alone.” He fully understands the pain millions around the world are going through because of this disease, and doesn’t want it to happen to someone else.
The research of Parkinson’s
For those who don’t know. Parkinson’s Disease is one of the fastest growing neurological diseases in the world. Estimated 1 million in the US and 10 million around the world are affected by it. Notable examples include Michael J. Fox himself, and legendary rock singer, Ozzy Osbourne. It’s a progressive movement disorder, meaning when your brain’s wants to move your arm, your body acts differently. Parkinson’s also leads to a lot of stiffness in your body, hindering movements. Over time you grow more a more disabled, even losing the ability to walk. “Experts say, you die from the disease, you die with it.” Dr. Ackerman’s mother went from being able to walk on her own, to being bedridden in just a few years. The worst thing about Parkinson’s: it can’t be cured.
Life in Criminal Justice
As mentioned, Dr. Ackerman started out as a police officer. He wanted the opportunity to support victims of crimes or their families but found the job to tougher than he would have liked because it was so time-demanding. “I wanted to stay with a victim and the family, and you can’t, you have another call to keep going.” Everywhere in every city, a crime is taking place, so he found he always had to be on his toes. Hence, he moved to law as he’d taken a liking to prosecution. In both places, he found two important traits that he urged his students to master: time management and attention to detail. There are people in prison who are completely innocent, and criminals who’ve gotten off scot-free because an officer or attorney missed a small detail. The field of forensics is incredibly pressurizing and unforgiving. That said, anyone who wants to be that field must understand fully what they’re getting into ahead of time, so they are not making simple mistakes that can cost them severely.
Sharon
Sharon Ackerman, as Dr. Ackerman described her, was a strong and inspiring woman. Her love for her family was something he could never forget about her and pushed him to ensure her memory was never forgotten. Even after catching Parkinson’s, she lived life as independently as possible, not telling her family for a long time, until finally she couldn’t. Dr. Ackerman couldn’t help but remember the sacrifices she made to raise him and his brother, and just hearing how much she meant to him was inspiring enough. Together For Sharon’s Website is full of photos with Dr. Ackerman and his mother, highlighting the power of familial love.
Dr. Ackerman’s journey is an honorable, and respectable one. I wish him nothing but success in this journey. People find his website, Togetherforsharon.com. There’s plenty of organizations on the site that you can donate to, and legislation that you can call your senator to push for. Parkinson’s must die.