Two friends and colleagues who live with Parkinson’s disease (PD) — Steven Heller and Véronique Vienne — recently published their personal email correspondence in The New York Times. They share their thoughts and feelings about what it’s like to live with Parkinson’s. And they show us the power of connection in working together toward their own answers and paths forward.

In their words, I saw the experiences and questions of so many people and families with whom I’ve spoken: What does this diagnosis mean? How will I tell loved ones? Is there hope? And I saw an opportunity to answer some of these common questions and share more information, especially for those who may be newer to Parkinson’s. Here’s a closer look at the piece in The New York Times, with my commentary.