Columbia Parkinson’s Support Group 2025 Annual Free Patient/Care Partner Symposium

PLEASE NOTE: We are required to have name tags issued for everyone for this event – it is a security issue for SCETV – if your name is not on the pre-registration list, we will not be allowed to admit you. Thanks for helping us comply with this security requirement. If you need help registering, call (803) 335-4247 or email contact@columbiaparkinsonsupportgroup.org.

Columbia Parkinson’s Support Group 2025
Annual Free Patient/Care Partner Symposium
Pre-registration is required – absolute deadline to register is Wednesday, April 30, 2025

Date: Saturday, May 3, 2025
Time: 8:30 AM to 2:30 PM – Attendee Sign-in opens at 8:30, program starts at 9:30
Location: SCETV – Murray Studio
1041 George Rogers Blvd.
Columbia, SC 29201-4761

The Columbia Parkinson’s Support Group is pleased to host this free patient/care partner symposium in our 40th Year!

Doors Open at 8:30 for check in. Continental breakfast will be available from 8:30 to 9:30 AM, and lunch will be available from 11:30 to 1:00 PM.

We will have two sessions:

Gentle Chair Yoga From 9:30 AM to 9:50 AM:

Cindy Smith – Chair Yoga – will open our symposium

Chair Yoga is a gentle form of exercise, is practiced sitting or standing using a chair for support. The class emphasizes basic movements for total body stretching, core strengthening, improved balance, and increased personal body awareness. The class finishes with deep breathing techniques and meditation.

Cindy Smith developed this class using her many years of experience as a Certified Yogafit Instructor and Physical Therapist Assistant. She has a passion for teaching classes for aging adults and those with physical limitations. She believes that anyone, regardless of age and ability, can enjoy the benefits of Yoga!

From 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM – the morning session will be medical/direct therapeutic intervention-focused. Panelists will be:

Dr. John Morgan
Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University
1120 15th Street
Augusta, Georgia 30912

John Morgan, MD, PhD, has been in practice as a movement disorders specialist for approximately 20 years and as a memory specialist for approximately 11 years. He is a tenured Professor and the Director of the Movement and Memory Disorders Programs of the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University. He earned his MD-PhD from the Medical College of Georgia and did a medicine internship and neurology residency at the University of Virginia. He is fellowship-trained in movement disorders and routinely cares for many patients with PD and other disorders. He has extensive experience in clinical trials for PD, RLS, Alzheimer’s Disease and other disorders.

He has published numerous peer-reviewed publications and book chapters and served on the NIH NET-PD FS-ZONE Steering Committee. He has served as a co-investigator on VA Merit Review Grants studying the effects of niacin and niacinamide in PD.

On a personal note, he grew up in Jacksonville, Florida and his wife is a dysphagia-expert speech pathologist. He has four children ages 22, 19, 12, and 11. He really enjoys tennis, hiking, fishing, playing the stock market, movies, collecting sports cards and comics, and spending time with family.

Dr. Pradeep Bollu
Prisma Health Neurology
1333Taylor Street (at Richland), Suite 1C
Columbia, SC 29201

Pradeep Bollu, MD, is a graduate of Kurnool Medical College, India. After receiving his medical degree, he completed an internship in internal medicine and a residency in neurology at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri. He then completed his fellowship training in sleep medicine and is board certified in neurology, sleep medicine, electromyography and headache medicine.

Dr. Bollu is currently a member and a diplomate of American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Before joining Prisma Health, he worked as faculty at the University of Missouri, supervising residents and fellows as the associate program director for the neurology residency and sleep medicine fellowship. He also served as the associate director for sleep disorders center at MU Health Care. He sees a diverse population of patients with neurologic illnesses including chronic migraines, sleep disorders (sleep apnea, hypersomnia, narcolepsy), headaches, spasticity, dystonia and Parkinson’s disease.

He offers comprehensive neurologic care along with many procedural interventions such as botulinum injection therapy (for migraines, dystonia, spasticity, etc.), deep brain stimulation (DBS) therapy, duopa infusion therapy, nerve blocks for headaches and trigger point injections.

He has numerous peer-reviewed articles, case reports and book chapters. He is the editor of the book Neurochemistry in Clinical Practice, and he is co-editor of the book Sleep Issues in Neuromuscular Diseases.

Will Harmon, DPT
Trek Physical Therapy and Assistive Applied Sciences, LLP
1036 Kinley Rd., Irmo, SC 29063

Will is a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT), and a graduate of the University of South Carolina and the Medical University of South Carolina. He has been practicing physical therapy for more than 25 years. He and his son Kirk, also a DPT, own and operate Trek Physical Therapy in Irmo, SC. In his spare time, he is a car and truck enthusiast, a nature lover, and resides in Lexington County with his faithful companion, Cap, an Australian Cattle Dog.

After seeing the challenges faced by a family member diagnosed with Parkinson’s, Will and his son Kirk, upon opening their own treatment facility, made the decision to specialize in providing physical therapy treatment to persons diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease and other neuromuscular conditions. There are many treatments and techniques available today to make living with Parkinson’s disease easier for both the persons diagnosed, and their caregivers. Will and Kirk feel it is of vital importance that this information get to those who need it, and efforts through vocation and volunteerism are two ways to do just that, and to serve those who have such needs.

Chris Maynard, Person with Parkinson’s

Chris Maynard is a Process Engineer & Indie Author, a retired SCANG Veteran, and a person with Parkinson’s. He is also an enrolled member of the Coharie Tribe of North Carolina. His debut novel “The Demagogue Wars” won Sci-Fi Book of the Year in the 2022 Feed My Reads Awards in the United Kingdom. The story featured a Veteran with Parkinson’s named Malachi. Chris served a total of 15 years in the U.S. Army and USAF before being forced to medically retire due to his Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease diagnosis. He now advocates for Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS), and for Persons with Disabilities in the workplace at his employer, TD Bank. He currently lives in his hometown of Thomasville, NC with his wife, Stephanie, where he continues to work and write under the pen name, C. Elmon Meade.

Afternoon session from 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM will focus on quality of life issues and living with Parkinson’s Disease. Panelists will be:

The Reverend Doug Graul
St. Francis of Assisi Episcopal Church
735 Old Lexington Highway
Chapin, SC 29036

The Reverend Doug Graul is a native of Fairfax, Virginia. Holding a B.S. in Political Science from James Madison University and a Master of Divinity from Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, Father Doug was ordained by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in 1995. He has served parishes in South Carolina in Peak, Spring Hill, Columbia, and Irmo, and has worked as a chaplain in assisted living and hospice settings.

Father Doug has been married to LuAnn Shealy Graul of Peak, South Carolina since 1996. They have four children, William, Sarah (Eddy), Lily, and Riley. He has been an avid cyclist for over forty years. He also is the President of the Dutch Fork High School Ladies Lacrosse Booster Club and announces the home games where Lily and Riley currently play on the varsity team.

Father Doug began his time at St. Francis Of Assisi Episcopal Church in Chapin, SC as a supply celebrant and is now honored to be called as the Rector of the Parish.

Dr. Ian Glidden, MD
Prisma Health
3 Medical Park Suite 510
Columbia, SC 29203

Dr. Glidden is a board-certified family physician undergoing fellowship training in hospice and palliative medicine. He values the importance of chronic disease management, evidence-based medicine, and amelioration of symptom burden in patients with life limiting disease. He received his BS in Biology from University of North Dakota and his MS in Biomedical Science from Iowa State University. Dr. Glidden completed his family medicine residency last year at Self Regional Healthcare in Greenwood, SC. He is a father of two young children and enjoys watching them grow.

Kay Perricelli – Parkinson’s Care Partner

Kay (age 75) cares for her husband Bill (age 77) in their West Columbia home. He was diagnosed with young onset PD in 1988 at age 40. Bill retired on disability in 1993 and at that time Kay began working part-time until 2011 when Bill could no longer stay home alone. He had DBS surgery in 2009. Even with DBS, living with PD still brings new challenges every day so Kay is always seeking solutions to help both of them. Kay marvels at resources available to patients and caregivers today that were non-existent when they began their journey. Kay feels volunteering with the CPSG over the years has taught her so much about her role as a caregiver.

Kay and Bill began attending the Columbia Parkinson’s Group (CPSG) soon after he was diagnosed with PD. At that time, CPSG was a three year old very loosely organized group. Being so much younger than the others in the group Kay was nudged into stepping up to assist another wife, whose husband also had young onset, in leading the group. Kay is so thankful for so many others, bringing broad experiences, who have stepped up over the years working tirelessly to make CPSG the legal 501.c organization it is today. Kay especially appreciates providers who recognize what CPSG has to offer and encourage their patients to become involved.

Chris Maynard – Person with Parkinson’s – Chris will return for the afternoon session.