Did you know that 38 Australians will be diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease today? The Lambooy family are on a mission to make sure more people are aware of the prevalence of this disease, and committed to the fight to find a cure.

In loving memory of their wife and mother Christine, the family have started an inspiring fundraising campaign, which aims to raise $38,000 – that’s $1,000 for every Aussie diagnosed with Parkinson’s daily.

Christine’s husband Sebastiaan, and children Anneliese, Maddy, Sebastiaan and Tilly, will be running the Sunshine Coast Half Marathon in August. They’re asking the community to support them with a donation for #KmsforChris.

We spoke with Anneliese about the family’s amazing fundraising commitment.

What inspires your commitment to a cure for Parkinson’s? 

Parkinson’s is an incredibly cruel disease… and Mum carried it with such grace and fought with incredible strength and courage to the very end. Mum taught us the incredible power of hope, something she held onto for your whole journey of Parkinson’s. She hoped for a cure and tried everything that was available on the market at the time with no luck. Mum fought this disease with everything she had while she was alive, and we are going to continue this fight for her now.

Can you tell us about your #KmsforChris challenge and what it involves?

Sadly, we are not alone in being a bystander to a loved one who has been impacted by Parkinson’s. With 38 Australians being diagnosed with Parkinson’s everyday, we aim to raise $38,000 – $1000 for every Aussie that was diagnosed with Parkinson’s just today. Movement is something that was taken from Mum and many people suffering with Parkinson’s… and it’s something most of us take for granted on a daily basis.

To celebrate our ability to move, we will be participating in the Sunshine Coast Half Marathon on the 13th of August. We encourage everyone and anyone to join us in raising funds for finding a cure for Parkinson’s and continue the hope Mum so tightly held onto. Please use #KmsforChris.

Why did you choose to fundraise for Shake It Up Australia?

We choose Shake It Up as 100% of funds go back into research to find a cure for Parkinson’s. As a family, we know that supporting research is the only way forwards to find a cure.

What do you want Australians to know about Parkinson’s disease? Why is it so important to raise awareness?

Until Mum was diagnosed with Parkinson’s, I was unaware of how prevalent Parkinson’s is (being the 2nd most common neurological disorder). It is entirely debilitating not just for the person suffering with the disease, but the whole family. If we are able to contribute by raising funds for research, we feel we are doing our part to assist in finding a cure.

How are you going with training for the half marathon? Where can people show their support for you?

My family and I train regularly throughout the week and we sign off all our training sessions on Strava with #KmsforChris. You will also likely see us running in Shake It Up shirts in an attempt to continue to raise awareness. Every dollar assists in finding a cure. To show your support, please donate to our page and sign off your runs/training sessions with #KmsforChris.

What advice do you have for anyone else looking to make a difference for Parkinson’s?

Finding a cure is a team effort. We all need to play a part and contribute. Research is what will lead to a cure and supporting this by raising funds is the best way forwards.

You can support the Lambooy family by donating to their page to help them reach their goal of $38,000 raised for Parkinson’s research.