George Ackerman 9/16/25

Selma:  Thank you for being with us today, George. Great chapter that you wrote in the book, Caregiver Advocate Vol 2. I have a couple of questions about the book, if you don't mind, but first, can you just briefly walk us through your caregiver journey?

George:  First, I want to thank both of you, your listeners, and the viewers for your time to bring even a moment’s awareness of Parkinson's disease, which means the world to so many. Unfortunately, we have approximately 1.3 million people diagnosed today with Parkinson's disease, but shockingly, and they did a research study on this, in just 15 years, there’s going to be about 25 million. And the jump from 1 million to 25 is really frightening. So that's why I advocate today.

Unfortunately, on January 1, 2020, I lost my mother due to Parkinson's disease. I myself am a police officer, an attorney in DC, in Florida, and I have a PhD in criminal justice. So my whole life has been dedicated to victims of crime. But it changed drastically when my mother progressed very quickly, and she had Parkinson's for about 15 years, but I didn't even know what it was until the last four … and she was only age 69 when she passed. And the last four years really changed my life forever. When she passed, I felt that we were all kind of robbed, including her.  She lost those 15 years alive, and I feel many more afterwards with her grandkids and our family. And I decided to start the website togetherforsharon.com and thought we'd have three or four people see it, and that would have been fine for me. We've had over 55,000 people visit … and that means it's progressing, and sometimes I feel like I'm just not doing enough….

Zack:  Sorry for the loss of your mother, and thank you for sharing that. Just want to delve a little bit more into that story as far as your work situation. Were you doing all that while also being there the last four years, caring for mom?

George:  I have never taken a break. I always joke and say, You know, we have no more time left is when we take a break in life… I don't think I'd be the man I am today or have accomplished what I have if it weren't for my mother's support. Even days where I was going to quit… the PhD took seven years, and every day after the fourth year, I wanted to quit. And she always kind of was in my corner like a Mike Tyson fight… saying don't give up, same thing. She was on stage at my law school graduation. Police Academy… and those were some again the happiest days, but toughest days in my life… My research and my PhD were aiding African American mothers who lost their loved ones due to murder, specifically crime in West Palm Beach, Florida. I'm in Florida. I'm from Brooklyn, New York, which is why I have a big care for law enforcement growing up in New York.

You know, a lot of times you lose a loved one or do to crime if someone sadly does, and the family becomes what is called secondary victims. They're often forgotten by the criminal justice system. I kind of correlate today Parkinson's people and even those who lost a loved one as I call I coined the term I say secondary victims in a way or because I didn't go through the symptoms of Parkinson, but holding my mother's hand through some of the tougher days, whether it's tremors, loss of handwriting, smell, the list goes on like no sleeping, horrible issues with constipation, lowering voice, facial massing, dizziness, finally not even able to live independently. I felt a lot of that secondhand…

Zack: Your education, the awareness that you're raising is commendable, George… But when you were going through this at the time, did you talk to your colleagues, employees that you worked with? Manager? Were they aware of what you were going through, and where were you getting your support at the time?

George: There are amazing questions again. I do want to thank you all again for the time because I just did a blog on my own on the lack of support in the media. And a lot of even just today, I wrote to I won't say names because I'm an attorney and I don't want you to get in trouble. But a local, nice, beautiful magazine that covers everything in Boca Raton, Florida, declined not just to tell my mother's journey, but to discuss Parkinson's awareness… Back to your question, my first book, A Son's Journey, I wrote that because I was shocked even today to find out there isn't one son. I always challenge everyone listening to write me if I'm wrong because I love it. But there's not one son in the world, literary world, who wrote a book about their mother who passed due to Parkinson's. And I was shocked. So, the last year of her life, I kept a journal which I never shared. And that was how I got through many days… and how I got through my support was my wife and my family… But to be honest, you and everyone listening also get me through every day because even five years later, still grieving…

Selma: George, if you look back to before you became your mom's caregiver, what would you tell yourself to prepare yourself for the journey that you went through?

George: I mean, honestly, there's nothing. I've learned a lot in five years. And I think the show should know that actually on Monday night, I'm leaving South Florida to head to the Capitol, Washington, D.C., to advocate with the Michael J. Fox Foundation, which is honestly one of the biggest honors of my whole life over everything I've accomplished to be chosen and selected as one of maybe 200 to 300 people in the country to be at the Capitol to meet with congressmen, senators, congresswomen, just to be there is gonna change… we have a podcast too, we've interviewed 300 people, I've interviewed and written interviews over, 1,500 people worldwide from Africa to Spain to Italy, France, England. Unfortunately, there's 10 million people outside the US affected with Parkinson's, not just the US. All the stuff I've learned, all the people I've learned is nothing I could have done differently at this point, because we don't have a cure… So we have a lot of issues going on, and we hope to help raise this awareness at the Capitol.

Zack:  How did you get selected?

George:  I'm only one person, one voice, and only one son who lost a mother, but she definitely instilled in me that if you have a purpose in life, to never give up, no matter what, whether I'm told no or not, you gotta not literally, but kick the door down and keep fighting… I just feel part of my heart also passed with my mother, and I just can't move on yet until I know that other people… don't have to keep going through this.

Zack:  So again, congratulations on being selected as an advocate. I could see the advocacy in you without a doubt. You're very convincing. And it's great that people can rely on somebody like you to represent them. What kind of advocacy will you be doing in DC?

George:  … So I, along with other representatives from every state throughout the United States, will be there to ask Congress, Senate to fund research to find a cure. It's really just three steps. The cure is not here today, but there are two other important steps that I learned from speaking to congressmen and women… The first one is to stop the progression… Number two is, can we reverse it, almost kind of bring them back to before they were progressing? And number three is the cure. So it's not just about a cure. We have a lot of work to do.

… And by the way, something encouraging is that last year, the first bill in US history was passed, which is shocking again that it is only the first time, but it's called the National Plan to End Parkinson's Disease. I have the honor to be a part of it in South Florida, funded and pushed through by the Michael J. Fox Foundation, leading the way, and I had the honor to meet Mr. Fox, who is another great man. That was an amazing story. But he's not doing well, unfortunately. There are three people in my mind, if we talk quickly, where you just met me and said, there are three people who inspire you with this movement -- It's Muhammad Ali, Ozzy Osbourne, and Michael J. Fox, and the two of them, unfortunately, are no longer here. We fight in their memory, too, my mother. But if we ever lose him, obviously, we'll keep fighting, but it'll be a crush to the Parkinson's community.

Selma:  Let’s talk about the chapter you wrote in the book.

George:  Which book?  I have written many. One of my babies is this one called Policing in Parkinson's. And this one means a lot to me. Because right now, there's no law enforcement agency in the country concentrating on Parkinson's awareness. And as we had, unfortunately, with autism, it was, in a way, in my opinion, neglected until somebody lost their life due to law enforcement and the lack of awareness. Well, all the departments in the country and government changed the policies and laws, and now there are definitely a lot more protections and discussion. There isn't for Parkinson's, and as many might know, or maybe not, it's a movement disorder, and sometimes individuals like Mr. Fox have external tremors, and it's not something they can control. Well, if an officer pulls someone over for just a traffic stop or a light and they give a command and that person might not be on the right medicines, or they were off, or they're uncontrollably shaking, they believe it could be drugs or drinking, DUI, and the big problem. So I've been trying to get this topic on until I'm not here anymore out there because my little dream and I need help because I can't do it alone. It's just to have the words Parkinson's disease added to every academy training program throughout the country…

Selma:  Well, in The Caregiver Advocate, Vol 2 book, you outlined some things that people should pay attention to while they're dealing with the caregiver journey of Parkinson's. And a couple of things stood out for me, which were a will and a POA. Can you talk a little bit about why those two documents are so important?

George:  Yeah, we actually wrote a book on the law in Parkinson's also because it's another area that's just not being discussed. And this one, I'm not sure if it's people. Some don't want to talk about it. Obviously, it's a good reason. It's a tough thing to talk about end-of-life. But others just, you know, aren't really aware again. So, to me as an attorney, I saw an area that I don't see anything, really, talked about. I was lucky in one way, which is not lucky because my mother was so sick. Before the last three years, she was still able to get around a little. We visited banks together. She appointed me her power of attorney… So in our family's mind, we never dreamt she wouldn't be with us only four years later. But we always said, and that's why I kind of as a caregiver, broke the rule, take care of yourself first. I didn't know how long I had with her. 24-7 was dedicated to being with her or helping her. Even when I wasn't with her, I was thinking of ways to help her.

So the reason that she helped me, we saw a lawyer, even though I'm a lawyer, we had a wills lawyer, and he put a will together. I just wanted to make sure that if and when she passed, number one, the family wouldn't have all had a world war, which we wouldn't have anyway, but some do over her house or things and all that. And also just, know, being able to understand what to do, how to navigate things. If you don't have a will, you're going to end up maybe in a legal war for many, many years. And it's not fair to the family… But my mother was, in a way, an angel. And that too, because we were able to have everything. So when, unfortunately, she passed, she paid for and planned the whole funeral. I just showed up, gave a speech, which was the hardest talk I've ever had in my life. And I left, and was falling apart the whole night.

But guess what? If it wasn't for her work and her care and for her family, I don't think it would have just ended after the funeral. We would have had a lot of issues and problems. There are so many things that can be done. I just think people kind of push it off or don't want to talk about it. It's such an important topic. That's why I decided to donate my time to The Caregiver Advocate Vol 2 book. I feel that there really wasn't a voice in the book for Parkinson's, and we needed one… I just want people to be aware. And if we even reach one person on our show or talk today, I feel like we've changed the world for the better.

Selma:  When people read your chapter in The Caregiver Advocate, what do you want them to walk away with?

George:  Well, now you don't know that there are many resources. If you go to togetherfisherham.com, you can read 1,500 interviews… But you can see that it's free… I do this all out of my heart, because again, I wish I didn't have to do it. I wish my mother was still next to me. I always say, we didn't have this beautiful technology where I can meet incredible people like both of you, who inspire me and your audience today online, like this back then. I always wish we had it because my mother would have probably been on the call with us…

Zack:  Could you share with everybody what's the best way to reach you or find you, or learn more about you?

George:  Thanks, it's togetherforsharon.com. It's all spelled out. That's just me. People joke too. Say, who do we get in touch with there if I'm running? It's really, it's just me. So even though it looks like we're a company with all this stuff, it's just me. And there are many nights I don't sleep thinking about my mother and thinking about everyone else still out there battling, but also my children, because I have trouble explaining to them today what happened to their grandmother. But I fear whether I'll get it or they will, if we don't do something really soon and drastic, then this disease is just going to keep growing and affecting children and our future generation.

But I just want everyone to know that they are not alone, I'll be out there fighting by their side until there's a cure. And I feel together, all of our voices are so much stronger. And if I just write a letter, which I do, I get nothing back. I've written 15 letters to all the media, from national to local, literally for five years, three, four times, and had beautiful letterhead with attorney, police, and all this stuff, and I don't get responses. But I bet you if we all did it together and flooded the congressmen, women, flooded the media, boy, would it change the world, and that's all we can do. 

Zack & Selma:  Good luck next week. You're going to make a difference and an impact. Thank you so much for your time, George.

George:  I thank both of you. I thank both of you and your audience, because like I said, if we just reach one person today, I feel it changed the world… And my mother still lives on through this show and all of you. So thank you.