Scholarship Recipient Battles Back from Lyme’s & Parkinson’s Diseases
As a nurse, Sharon Peck understands how important it is to advocate for your own health. With years of experience as a burn/trauma nurse, a med/surg nurse, and a maternal newborn nurse, Sharon was also the mother to four children, one with special needs. After the birth of her last child, she started to notice personal health issues.
“I’d always exercised a lot,” said Sharon, “but now I was struggling with chronic fatigue, canker sores (12 at a time), brain fog, etc. My doctor brushed off my complaints, and told me to take naps. Needless to say, I went in search of a doctor who would take my concerns more seriously. I spent years on and off antibiotics until I was finally correctly diagnosed with Lyme’s Disease.”
In 2007, Sharon and her family moved from the East Coast to Kauai, HI. It was hard for her to leave her extended family, but she did so in the hope that her health would improve with the temperate weather. She started volunteering as a Special Olympics swim coach for her daughter, and was inspired to take a job at the high school as a special ed teacher. Sharon thought things were looking up…and then her marriage of 27 years ended. She was in shock, and her health took a nosedive.
“I started to get tremoring in my right hand,” said Sharon. “It became difficult to write. I was having more trouble getting out of bed than my 86-year old mother. Eventually I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. I was completely overwhelmed.”
Sharon’s brother suggested she look into to OHI. He had been a handful of times, and had great experiences. She did some research on the website, but was crushed to find the cost was out of her reach.
“I saw that OHI offers scholarships to those in need,” said Sharon, “so I decided to apply. What could it hurt? I sent many prayers, and was elated to be offered the scholarship! I am so grateful to OHI to have had the privilege to stay at their San Diego campus. I learned new ways of eating to better care for my body that address both my Lyme’s and Parkinson’s Diseases. The stiffness I struggled with each morning is now gone. I strive to put into practice everything I learned at OHI, and hope to return soon to learn more. OHI has been a god-send!”