2022 Annual Report

Positivity & perseverance: Richard Cebelak’s journey
with Parkinson’s disease
Parkinson’s disease is a challenging
diagnosis. It requires adjustments to
day-to-day life and changes in regular
habits. But for Richard Cebelak,
Parkinson’s would not get him out of
his routine.
When Richard was diagnosed in 2015,
he and his wife, Patricia, knew it
would be a long journey they would
undertake as one.
“Richard’s positive attitude meant
we would take one step at a time
together,” Patricia said. “At that point,
we understood how fragile life was,
and we would deal with it hand in hand.”
“You hear about the
scientists working to
make the world better
and get to talk to them
and learn from them.
It really gives
you hope.”
— Patricia Cebelak
For Richard, “dealing with it” meant
staying active. In addition to following
medical guidance for treatment,
Richard and Patricia went to exercise
classes, spent time with friends, met
other people with Parkinson’s and
volunteered when able. Grand Rapids
itself also had a role to play.
“Living in the area, I knew of people
who came from Petoskey, Battle Creek,
Kalamazoo — all to visit the facilities
that exist in our own backyard. Being
in this medical community, it gave us
the support we needed,” Patricia said.
After adjusting to life with Parkinson’s,
Richard and Patricia regularly
attended VAI’s Winterfest Celebration,
which raises funds to support
Parkinson’s research at the Institute.
They found it the perfect opportunity
to learn about the disease directly
from scientists, something that was
more impactful than the literature.
“You hear about the scientists working
to make the world better and get to
talk to them and learn from them. It
really gives you hope,” Patricia said.
Most importantly for them, they were
supporting a local cause with global
impact: This wasn’t an institute in
another country, Patricia said. The
research is happening right in their
own backyard.
“Seeing the Van Andel family be
involved, meeting the researchers,
talking with other supporters — it
built a connection of trust with the
Institute that made us believers in
the impact a place like this can have,”
Patricia said.
Richard wanted to change the
perception of Parkinson’s, making it
a point to maintain his daily errands,
keep habits and, most importantly,
remain out in the community. For
him, this was the opportunity to
show that good things can come from
challenges, Patricia said, but it was
also his way of tackling problems. You
could never slow Richard down, and
his friends knew that: They took him
ice fishing in 2021 — five years after
his initial diagnosis.
“That was Richard, the one whose
friends would build a special rig
to help him go ice fishing with
Parkinson’s disease, the one who
would go on his solo trips to the lake
every Sunday,” Patricia said. “The
disease wouldn’t slow him down, and
it was inspiring to get to spend so
much time with him doing what he
liked to do.”
Richard stuck to his routine to the
very end, going on a fishing trip on
the day of his passing in June 2021. His
legacy lives on in the fond memories
of friends and family, and through
the impact he and Patricia have made
through their support of research.
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