How The Wiggles Project Came To Be

It was the first time my Parkinson’s related dyskinesias (the wiggles) had caused a problem beyond the physical realm of my own body. It went beyond the usual stares I would get because I had the wiggles. It was a traumatic event for me but ultimately became the inspiration (a way to turn something negative into a positive, a YouTube Channel) for The Wiggles Project.

For context, allow me to say that I love playing poker. I love cards, and once my grandmother taught me how to play Gin Rummy, all I wanted to do was play. When the lockdown finally eased, and I was vaccinated, it was time to play some poker at a favorite local casino.

I couldn't have been happier to play again and was playing one afternoon and winning big. It was time for a break, so I stepped outside. I was dyskinetic but nothing crazy, wiggling and trying to find something in my purse, all was wonderful until a security guard approached me and asked if I was ok.

I told him that I have young onset Parkinson’s disease and that sometimes the medicine I take gives me dyskinesia, which I refer to as the wiggles. He asked me for identification, and I gave him my driver's license.

The next thing I know, I'm surrounded by four security guards, and they believe I am someone who trespassed on their property in 2017 and was removed from the casino.

They refused to believe me or seriously consider the possibility that they had the wrong person. They indeed had the wrong woman, but nonetheless it was made clear I had to leave.

I still had poker chips on the table and was in tears. This was a highly stressful situation and as a result my Parkinson's symptoms grew in intensity, to such a level that my shaking and wiggles made it difficult to walk.

Adding to the horror of the moment was having to walk back into the poker room and ask a manager if they could get my chips off of the table for me. I was a total shaking teary eyed mess and humiliated, the manager quickly returned with my money.

Then still having difficulty walking I hobbled to the safety of my car. Security followed me the whole time. Even while I was in my car trying to calm my symptoms, a security guard stood on his bicycle with his phone camera on me.

Never in my life have I been kicked out of any establishment. Never before have I been accused in this manner of doing something I didn't do. Nor accused of being someone I wasn't. Never before had my having Parkinson’s disease resulted in an experience like this.

The only reason I was approached was because they assumed the worst reasons for my bodies strange movements, like illegal drugs. I wasn't doing anything at all to disturb anyone or the casino itself. It was day time, I wasn't drinking alcohol, threatening anyone, yelling out loud, talking to myself, or doing anything strange that would give reason for security to approach me. and definitely no reason for them to ask me to leave.

I was having a wonderful winning day at the poker table, life was good…

But I had the Wiggles.