Dan Andrews is a Parkinson's patient and advocate for clinical trial participation. We wrote about his experience with Fox Trial Finder in the fall 2011 issue of our newsletter, Accelerating the Cure. Learn more about Dan below or click here to check out the rest of our fall issue.
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When asked why he signed up for Fox Trial Finder, Dan Andrews answered simply, “To find a cure.”
Last January, Dan was diagnosed with young-onset Parkinson’s disease at age 36. While he is a relative newcomer to The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF), he’s already striving to make an impact in the Parkinson’s community. “When you have Parkinson’s, especially young-onset, you’re up against the clock,” Dan said. “If there is anything that I can do to help, I’ll do it. I will go full throttle until we find a cure.”
A freelance journalist and photographer based in Knoxville, Tennessee, Dan is “100 percent open” about his Parkinson’s disease (PD) with his family and friends, as well as with readers of his blog. He came across Fox Trial Finder on MJFF’s Web site, which he visits often. Interested in learning more, he took part in a Foundation “Webinar.”
When the beta version of Fox Trial Finder launched in July, Dan was among the first to complete a profile. He regularly checks in to see if he might be eligible for trials within driving distance of his home.
“Our progress toward improved treatments and a cure depends on getting more people — especially with PD — into trials,” said Dan, who has gained an appreciation for the urgency of the need for greater participation in studies. “We can’t afford to wait any longer. And Fox Trial Finder makes it easy: You can find the trials near you that need you.”
Dan also actively follows — and contributes to — the Foundation’s Facebook page, which he sees as a valuable source of community among Parkinson’s patients and their loved ones. He’s made it his personal mission to help MJFF reach its goal of 100,000 “likes” on Facebook as part of the “Are You In?” campaign. Encouraging his friends to join him, he said, “In one night, 70 of my friends liked MJFF on Facebook. I’m sure that we can get to 100,000 — and soon!”
