Parkinson’s doesn’t just happen to one person. It happens to a whole family.
That truth sits at the heart of the latest episode of Shaking It Up with Parkinson’s, the podcast series produced by Chaos Created, which is out today and powered by Parkinson’s UK. It’s one of the most honest and moving conversations of the series so far. Broadcaster Jeremy Vine joins his sister Sonya, along with hosts Maria Lewis and Vicky Rees-Davies, for a conversation about what the condition really means for the people living alongside a diagnosis. It’s the kind of warm and honest conversation that has come to define the show.
Sonya’s husband Chris was diagnosed at 34, just two months after their wedding. Eighteen years on, she knows this world inside out, and she talks about it with such warmth, humour and practicality. Parkinson’s took their father, too, and now Jeremy watches his sister and Chris live with the condition. He’s incredibly honest about the toll, and about the moments when it is just too painful to put into words.
Together they cover the early shock of diagnosis, the slow progression of the condition, and the challenge of staying connected in a relationship when speech becomes harder. Sonya also brings a toolkit of practical advice to help other partners, parents and carers, including that those in a similar situation should find a haven of their own, and don’t give it up. Hers is a loft studio she paints in with the trap door closed.
And running underneath it all is Jeremy’s hope that one day he’ll switch on the news and hear they’ve found a cure.
Halfway through, and what a journey it’s been
Episode 6 means we’re now more than halfway through the first season, and it feels like a good moment to look back at the people who have trusted our podcast with their stories. We’ve packed for a trip with occupational therapist Emma Bracher, heard honest and often funny accounts of Deep Brain Stimulation from Jo Tosh and Kuhan Pushparatnam, made the case for climbing with Jordi Cruz and Natalia Kaminska, gone cold water swimming with Sunday Times bestselling author Richard Waters, and explored the gut-brain connection with Melody Mackeown. Every episode has been generous, practical and full of reasons to keep going.
There’s plenty still to come, and if you haven’t caught up yet, now is the perfect time to start. You can listen to every episode wherever you get your podcasts, and if you subscribe and follow along, you’ll never miss a new one. Fresh episodes release each month.
Want a podcast like this one?
Shaking It Up with Parkinson’s is the kind of project we love: a series with something real to say, produced from start to finish. At Chaos Created, we handle podcast production end-to-end, from recording and editing through distribution, project pages, and the social content that helps each episode find its audience. If you have a story to tell or a topic to cover and you’re thinking about starting your own podcast, we would love to help you make it happen. Get in touch and let’s talk.