A 52-year-old man from Derbyshire, England, is celebrating an incredible and life-changing improvement in his quality of life after receiving a groundbreaking new drug treatment for Parkinson’s disease.
Damian Gath, who was diagnosed with the incurable brain condition a decade ago, has experienced an extraordinary transformation in just one week after beginning the treatment.
A video shared by SWNS captures the dramatic difference it has made, highlighting the power of medical advancements in giving hope to those suffering from debilitating conditions.
Damian, who happens to be a father of four, used to have a very active lifestyle before his diagnosis, frequently working out at the gym four times a week and holding a demanding job as head of operations at a communications firm. But everything changed when his body started to show the first signs of Parkinson’s disease, a progressive neurological disorder that primarily affects movement and motor control.
“I lost the use of my fingers in my arm,” Damian recalled, describing the early symptoms of the condition. “I couldn’t hold a pen and I was dropping cups of tea and bottles, so I went to the hospital in my lunch hour from work.”
These seemingly small, yet alarming signs led him to seek medical attention, and it was during this time that he received the devastating diagnosis. A neurologist informed Damian that he had Parkinson’s, a disease he knew very little about at the time.
“His exact words were, ‘It’s an irreversible, incurable degenerative brain disease.’ I was a bit shocked at the time,” Damian shared. The news was not only life-altering but came with the grim reality that his condition would continue to worsen over time, with no known cure.
Over the years, Damian tried nearly early oral medication available in an effort to manage the symptoms of Parkinson’s. These medications, while providing some temporary relief, often came with a host of unpleasant side effects that greatly impacted his quality of life.
“I had severe side effects from them all—hallucinations, paranoia, depression, anxiety. It was a really tough time,” Damian explained, describing how the treatments left him grappling with both the symptoms of his disease and the debilitating side effects of the medications.
After years of searching for an effective solution, a breakthrough came in June when Damian was selected to be one of the first patients in the UK to receive a new treatment called Produodopa.
This revolutionary therapy, approved by England’s National Health System (NHS), is administered using a miniature pump that delivers the medications under the skin. Unlike the oral medications Damian had previously tried, this portable pump provides a far more gradual and consistent release of the drug, leading to better management of his Parkinson’s symptoms.
Damian was among the first in the country to receive this innovative treatment, and the results have been nothing short of extraordinary. In a matter of days, Damian’s symptoms drastically improved.
A video released by SWNS shows the stunning transformation, where Damian – who previously struggled with severe spastic upper body movements – can now effortlessly perform everyday tasks like making a cup of coffee.
“It’s been extraordinary and life-changing,” he said. “I’m able to sit in front of the TV not in pain—and I can get a good full night’s sleep.”
One of the key benefits of the new treatment is it continuous release mechanism. Unlike the oral medications that would wear off at inconvenient times, leaving Damian to endure the full brunt of his Parkinson’s symptoms, the pump offer a more sustained level of control.
“In the past, I stopped taking my last tablet at 9pm, and when that wore off, you’re back to your raw Parkinson’s symptoms,” Damian explained. Now, with the Produodopa pump, he has much more control over his medication.
“Because this medication is released slowly into the body, and I can boost it and decrease it to a certain extent, I’ve got control over how much is being given,” he added. This level of control has allowed Damian to not only manage his symptoms better but also reclaim parts of his life that had been lost to the disease.
Perhaps more remarkably, Damian has experienced no side effects from the new treatment – stark contrast to the severe reactions he endured with previous medications.
Best of all, the new medication, which is not yet available in the US, has produced no side effects for Damian, so far. “The most dramatic experience is the loss of pain and the ability to move a lot more normally,” he shared.
Now, with his newfound mobility and freedom from pain, Damian has begun to set his sights on goals he once thought were out of reach. Living near the picturesque Peak District, Damian is eager to get back to outdoor activities he once enjoyed. “I live near the Peak District and we have some beautiful hikes and walks open to us. I’m hoping I can get back to doing that,” he said optimistically.
The success of Damian’s treatment is part of a broader effort by the NHS to roll out Produodopa to other Parkinson’s patients across the UK. Health providers like Sherwood Forest Hospital (SFH), where Damian received his treatment, are at the forefront of introducing this new therapy to help those living with advanced Parkinson’s.
“The successful implementation of Produodopa at SFH heralds a new era in the management of advanced Parkinson’s disease,” said Dr. Nishantha Silva, a representative from the hospital.
While Produodopa is not yet available in the United States, Damian’s story is a beacon of hope for many Parkinson’s sufferers worldwide. His dramatic improvement in just one week underscores the potential of new treatments to not only manage symptoms but also restore a sense of normalcy to the lives of those affected by the disease.
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