But the most important gift she gave me was a different understanding, on an emotional level, of the value and importance of the exercise in which she was training me. For instance, she summarized that she was ‘retraining my brain’

 I had nothing to lose. There were still spots with Dr. Johnson open under the grant, so I signed up for physical therapy. It was perhaps the best decision of my life.

“When the world around you is in a spin… It’s nice to know that someone’s got your back! Thanks for being that someone!”

Thanks to Dr. Valerie Johnson, I have changed my outlook on life. I can live with Parkinson’s, it will not defeat me…

“I look forward to my sessions with Valerie. The classes are fun but challenging.”

“You are a wonderful teacher. I am glad I had the opportunity to work with you. You are a blessing to PD patients and others who benefit from your lovingly tough classes. Thank you for all you do. Your commitment to helping others is demonstrated continually by your words and actions.”