![Strap on Your Favorite Heels and Join #HeelsOnHeadUp](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_xl/public/images/featured/tonya%20shoe%20maven%20crop.jpg?itok=v2EFrSMe)
Meet Tonya Walker, Team Fox member and lifestyle blogger behind The Shoe Maven. Diagnosed with Parkinson's at 34, Tonya has since transformed her passion for fashion into an opportunity to educate her followers about Parkinson’s disease (PD). This April, Tonya is teaming up with Team Fox to launch "Heels On, Head Up," a social media campaign to raise awareness of young-onset Parkinson's disease (YOPD).
I’m all too familiar with the misconceptions related to Parkinson’s. In the years that followed my diagnosis with young-onset Parkinson’s disease, my motor skills deteriorated to the point that I could no longer walk in heels. Explaining to family and friends that I had PD in my early 30s was difficult.
Luckily, ten years and two Deep Brain Stimulation surgeries later, I’m back in heels and eager to do my part to support the Parkinson’s community. I’ve cast aside my struggle with denial and secrecy in favor of a positive outlook and a personal commitment to make a difference.
The “Heels On, Head Up” campaign is a fun (and fashionable!) approach to increasing awareness of YOPD. Here are three simple ways to get involved:
- Post a photo on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter in your favorite shoes with the hashtags #HeelsOnHeadUp and #GoTeamFox;
- Include a personal message of support for young-onset Parkinson's awareness; and
- Tag three friends to encourage them to participate.
Think of it as similar to the ice bucket challenge — minus the cold water and plus fashionable shoes!
Starting tomorrow on April 1, the launch of the campaign will be supported by “Campaign Ambassadors” — popular style bloggers who will promote “Heels On, Heads Up” on their social channels. In addition, Bloomingdale's generously invited me to shoot this video announcing the campaign in the shoe department of their Orlando store. I encourage you to share the launch video to help spread the word! And stay up-to-date with the campaign on Facebook, Instagram and my Shoe Maven blog.
We need your support to make “Heels On, Heads Up” a success. Share the campaign with family and friends and encourage them to donate to Team Fox to speed Parkinson’s research toward a cure. This April, during Parkinson’s Awareness Month, we have the power to drive “Heels On, Heads Up” to extraordinary heights. I hope you will join us! #GoTeamFox
Interested in transforming your personal passion into an opportunity to speed a cure? Join Team Fox today and together, let's make Parkinson's Awareness Month a million dollar month for critical research.