Where is Our CEO, Jennifer Cobb?

Care Resources for Parkinson’s

Taking care of a loved one with Parkinson’s is hard work. It can be challenging, exhausting, and frustrating. But remember, you are not alone. There are many great organizations that can give you advice and direct you to an organization to assist with providing care, finding a therapy program, and connecting to a trusted caregiver.

Taking care of a loved one with Parkinson’s is hard work. It can be challenging, exhausting, and frustrating. But remember, you are not alone. There are many great organizations that can give you advice and direct you to an organization to assist with providing care, finding a therapy program, and connecting to a trusted caregiver.

Caregivers are considered the second patient, this is a list of caregiver symptoms:

  • Mental exhaustion
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Stress
  • Self-care neglect
  • Mindfulness
  • Feeling angry
  • Financial difficulties
  • Difficulty solving problemsMental exhaustion
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Stress
  • Self-care neglect
  • Mindfulness
  • Feeling angry
  • Financial difficulties
  • Difficulty solving problems
  • Lack of coping skills
  • Lack of choice in being a caregiver
  • Tremor
  • Small handwriting
  • Loss of smell
  • Trouble Sleeping
  • Trouble moving or walking
  • Constipation
  • A soft or low voice
  •  “Masked” face
  • Dizziness or fainting
  •  Stoop or hunched over
Have a question about Parkinson’s? Team Gateway To A Cure, along with Dr. Rachel Dolhun, a board-certified neurologist and movement disorder specialist at the Michael J. Fox Foundation are here to help! Using her medical expertise, clinical training, and years of experience, she creates tools and resources, including the Ask the MD series of blogs and videos, guides for living well, and Parkinson’s 360 to help people and families navigate life with the disease and understand their critical role in advancing research. She also serves as an expert spokesperson and thought leader, helping to distill complex medical topics for press interviews, global conferences, and community events. Dr. Dolhun is also active in educating the next generation of Parkinson’s care doctors through programs designed to stimulate interest in movement disorder careers and fund necessary training. Ask the MD: Stem Cells and Parkinson’s Disease

Care partners play an invaluable role in their loved one’s journey with Parkinson disease, helping to preform everyday tasks, visit doctors, administer medication, and so much more. Our community knows this can sometimes be challenging and that care partners don’t always receive the support they need.

This week, the president took action to address this by signing the RAISE Family Caregivers Act into law. The bill directs the government to create a national strategy to better support the estimated 40 million care partners across the country. Among other things, it aims to provide caregivers with more education, respite care services and resources to navigate working while helping a loved one manage their disease.

All year long, you had the ear of senators and representatives on this issue. RAISE was a major focus of lawmaker meetings during the 2017 Parkinson’s Policy Forum. Advocates asked members to vote for the bill, explaining the importance of appropriate training and services for care partners. After the event concluded, Forum attendees continued to keep in touch with their lawmakers and push for RAISE’s passage. Additional members of the Parkinson’s community joined these efforts in November, sending emails to their representatives as the bill came under consideration in the House. Thank you to every individual who spoke out for Parkinson’s care partners throughout the past year.

Fago Franklin III

Board Member

Fago Franklin III is a member of the media, as well as a publicist. He started as a journalist in 2012 and worked his way up the scales. In 2019, he started interning as a publicist with a small firm and later started his own business called Newsstitched Media.

Newsstitched Media is a combination of maximum exposure on brands, as well as content. Some call him Superman, because he does multiple things in the sports and entertainment industry.

Jeff Maher Bio Picture

Jeff Maher

Board Member

After witnessing Jennifer Cobb’s tireless work with the Michael J. Fox Foundation and Team Gateway To A Cure, Maher knew he wanted to be a part of the foundation.

As an ophthalmologist specializing in cataract surgery, Maher has encountered many Parkinson’s patients throughout his career and witnessed firsthand the multitude of challenges they face along with their caregivers and loved ones.

Jumping at the opportunity to join Team Gateway To A Cure, Maher enjoys the organization’s creativity in finding new ways to highlight Parkinson’s Disease and raise awareness of ways to help patients, families, and caregivers.

Kelly Ott

Board Member

A registered nurse specializing in research and hemodynamic monitoring and passionate about improving the outcome of patients, Ott is an Alumni Rams Cheerleader whose dedication to finding a cure became near and dear to her heart after her grandfather passed away from complications resulting from Parkinson’s disease.

Tim Peterson

Board Member

After spending more than two decades creating and running successful businesses in Missouri and Illinois, Petterson looked for ways to give back to his community. Empowered by Jennifer Cobb’s enthusiasm, determination, and energy he wanted to become involved with Team Gateway To A Cure.

A former music director, event coordinator, and musician for the St. Louis Blues, Petterson turned his focus to bringing the Blues together with the Michael J. Fox Foundation and Team Gateway To A Cure. Proud to be involved with something that makes people feel good inside, Petterson enjoys watching the smile the foundation puts on people’s faces.

Tim Brunette

Director of Strategic Planning

As the Director of Strategic Partnerships for Team Gateway To A Cure, Brunette brings over twenty years of experience building Strategic Partnerships through sales, marketing, new business development, promotions, and advertising.

Having worked for Anheuser-Busch, NBC Universal Studios, Paramount Pictures and as an independent Media Consultant for over ten years, Brunette has also volunteered with The Albert Pujols Family Foundation, Responder Rescue, the Special Olympics, and as a coach for CYC (Catholic Youth Council).

Jennifer Cobb

Founder/Executive Director

Jennifer Cobb, Founder and President, of Team Gateway to a Cure was born to cheer you up. A former NFL Cheerleader for the St. Louis Rams, Jennifer knows that inspiration and hope can lead to momentum and propel you to places you never thought possible. Her foundation focuses on the caregivers of people associated with diseases such as Parkinson’s and other affecting the brain. As of late she has partnered with filmmaker Tim Breitbach with his film the Final 19 and other upcoming projects related to cause, She has used her NFL pedigree and platform to reach hundreds of thousands and has a partner to both the Michael J. Fox Foundation and the Muhammed Ali Parkinson Center.

Her focus on the caregiver is relentless as she is a daughter of a father with the disease of Parkinson’s. She has two books in development and is aligning with influences in all sectors of the entertainment industry to help tell compelling stores to educate and inform.