An opinion column published April 30, 2026, on Darkhorse Press recounts the author’s loss to Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia and calls for greater urgency in research, funding and care.
The author identifies his father as Pat Apel, a former prosecutor, author, soldier and pastor who died in November 2024 after living with Parkinson’s and Lewy body dementia. “There’s no polished way to say this: it is an evil disease,” the author wrote, describing progressive symptoms that can include tremor, stiffness, speech and balance problems, and, with Lewy body dementia, hallucinations and severe cognitive fluctuations.
The column notes that about 1 million Americans live with Parkinson’s and that there are nearly 90,000 new diagnoses each year, citing the Parkinson’s Foundation. It highlights research into biomarkers, therapies targeting alpha-synuclein, gene therapies and new infusion treatments, and says the federal National Plan to End Parkinson’s Act has created new momentum for coordinated research.
The author also details the financial and caregiving strains of dementia care, saying memory care cost about $8,000 a month in Mississippi and Ohio — expenses his family covered for roughly four years using an inheritance. He wrote that families often face the choice of depleting savings or leaving work to provide round-the-clock care and criticized what he called a failure of insurance systems to treat dementia as a medical condition.
The column closes by urging that awareness extend beyond April and by expressing cautious hope that advances in science will bring earlier diagnosis, better symptom control and eventual prevention. The author said telling the truth about the disease can honor his father’s legacy and help push for better answers.
