Team Terry

by Margaret F. Moylan

I want to tell you about another group of beautiful people who were there for the PAW on September 11. That's the Galvin sisters. Their team was registered as the "Guardian Angels," based on the belief that their parents and their sister Patty, who have all passed on, are acting as their guardian angels and were right there with them at the walk. I've been calling them "Team Terry."

Terry Baum, the youngest of the sisters, has young-onset Parkinson's disease. But I'll bet if you followed her around for a few days, you would find this hard to believe. If you watch closely, you can see the telltale tremors but this does not stop this mother of two teenaged boys who has had PD for 3 years! She was teaching 6th grade in Mexico, NY, when she was diagnosed in March 2001. Today in 2004 what is she doing? She is teaching 6th grade in Mexico, NY, a small rural community about 20 miles east Oswego. Yes, Terry is still teaching and is a nominee for New York State Teacher of the Year for 2005. She loves teaching and so far hasn't let PD take that away from her.

I found out about Terry from her sister, Barb Galvin, who is an instructor of nursing at St. Elizabeth's School of Nursing in Utica. Terry has found terrific support from within her own family. Not only is Barbara part of her support system, Terry is the youngest of seven sisters, all of whom are there for Terry with their families to lend support when needed.

Last April, the entire clan, including Terry's husband Jeff and two sons, Justin (17) and Kristopher (13) headed for New York City on the train bound for Central Park and the Parkinson's Unity Walk. All of the money raised at the Unity Walk goes to Parkinson's research. And this is a big part of the hope that keeps Barb going in her efforts for her sister. She sends out a letter to friends in the spring asking people to donate to the walk. She ends this year's letter with this statement: I will walk with Terry on April 24th RAIN OR SHINE in the hopes that the money we raise will help researchers find a cure in Terry's lifetime. Please pray for her.

This year was the second year in a row that the Galvin sisters and their families went to support Terry at the Unity Walk. This year they were honored for their second place finish in last year's event, and on the day of this year's walk, their team was in first place. The team is made up of Terry's friends from the Young Onset Parkinson's Group that she participates with over the Internet.

Terry is the kind of person who naturally attracts friends. She told me of a friend she made on the train on the way to the Unity Walk this year. She got to talking with another woman passenger. By the time they reached New York, they had become friends, and the woman had donated to the walk. When I heard from Terry, she had a check for $50 from this new friend specifically for research. Terry sent this check to our support group in Central NY and we forwarded it to The Parkinson Alliance where every cent you donate goes to research.

It has been a dream of Terry's ever since she was diagnosed with PD to meet Michael J. Fox. This year the Unity Walk brought that about. See the accompanying photo of Terry and MJF. She got her chance to talk to him for 7 or 8 minutes and hug him three times! She says he was so kind and so reassuring. What a thrill!

It has been a dream of mine to meet the Galvin sisters in person ever since I heard their story and got acquainted with them through e-mail. Well, this year in September my dream became a reality when five of the Galvin sisters, including Terry and Barb, came to join us in our PAW (Parkinson's Awareness Walk) at the Presbyterian Home for CNY which raises money for the new one-of-a-kind PD unit that the home offers to residents. I asked them if they enjoyed our walk, and their answer was yes, and they would see us next year. It is no wonder that Terry writes so lovingly about her family. She says, I know it sounds goofy but the bottom line is I love everyone in my family. They are so important to me. We are all very close to each other. And I count my blessings for that! And aren't we all so richly blessed by meeting up with families like the Galvin sisters?

Terry Baum with Michael J. Fox

The Galvin sisters at the Unity Walk in NYC