with Parkinson's Disease. When I was diagnosed, it was kind of a big cloud and

pretty depressing for a little while and there

were some tears. I found for me exercise was really really helpful I've done a

lot of exercise and I really feel a lot better since I've been doing the

exercise. The 13, that usually is kind of bad luck, right? And in my case, actually

the 13 is good because I have...that's people that are behind me. I have six

grandchildren, three daughters, three wonderful daughters, three son in laws

that are very good guys and a wonderful life so that makes my 13. Dando

participates in SHAKE it Up, an art therapy group held twice a month for

those dealing with Parkinson's. The group is led by Janice Horn, who was diagnosed

with the disease at just 37 years old. To deal with the news

Horn turned to art. Horn: "I was very depressed for a long time and art was the one way

I was able to express that to people and my- you know- I couldn't tell my family

I couldn't tell people I didn't want them to feel bad for me so I was trying

to be strong and so I didn't tell them. So that helps a lot so I was able to get

the motions out on paper." She says art also helps deal with her

tremors. HORN: "The tremor for some reason when I'm drawing or painting it just seems to

get so much better, so they actually do a good painting even though I'm tremoring most of the time."

Art therapy also provides other benefits to those with Parkinson's. GREENING: "It helps to

promote neuroplasticity in the brain so when you're doing something new and

you're working with your fine motor skills and you're working on creativity

and expressing things that maybe you can't

express verbally or with facial expressions anymore, that all helps to

challenge your brain and that helps to protect your brain when you're

challenging your brain cells, it protects the brain cells." For folks like Ken Dando

he's experiencing those benefits and much more thanks to his time in the

therapy group. DANDO: "You got to get out and get doing things. The more you do of that the

better whatever it is so this is good to kind

of get together with a group of people that are the same as you. GREENING: I can hear from the

front of the office I can hear conversation and laughter and that's

really what we want to see that they're enjoying themselves and they're having

an outlet to create and share their experiences with each other." Programs

like these are funded through events like the Parkinson Canada's super walk

The 2017 Winnipeg edition takes place September 9th at the U of M's max Bell

Centre Fieldhouse.