Stories

When Suzie Wood, 83, first received her diagnosis of Parkinson's disease in 2017, she was suffering from intense body tremors, muscle stiffness, and difficulty speaking. "My voice was shot," she remembers. After several months of individual voice therapy, Suzie found the Loud Crowd®, a group of people all dealing with Parkinson's (a progressive nervous system disorder with a host of side effects, including impaired speech) who meet weekly to train their voices to be loud and to speak with intention.

"Before finding the Loud Crowd, very often I would not speak rather than have people see me struggling," said Suzie. "Whereas in this group, it's OK to struggle. We are constantly reminded to project our voices and speak with intention. It is so easy to forget."

Katelin Carollo, SLP at CCLLC, started leading this Loud Crowd group in January 2022 and has experienced Suzie's continued progress in this group setting. "As with most patients and their journeys with speech therapy, Suzie's has not been easy," said Katelin. "Her strength and resilience are admirable. I've seen her overcome health issues, fatigue, and all the aspects that come with having a progressive disease, with grace. Suzie has made strong progress and increased her confidence and independence with her overall communication."

The Loud Crowd is a program through the Parkinson Voice Project that is rooted in research. The hour-long group sessions focus on voice training exercises that allow participants to maintain the strength of their voices and to speak both loudly and clearly. In doing so, participants can feel more confident to try new things, engage with people, and live fully functioning lives. Central Coast Language and Learning Center has been hosting a Loud Crowd group since 2017. The group began meeting in-person, but when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, they transitioned to meeting virtually, which they still do.

"I look forward to meeting every week," said Suzie. "We've never actually met in person, so we just see each other in a little square on our computers, but we know so much about each other." Many of the group exercises have participants answering questions about their families, their favorite things, and their life experiences, which makes for quick relationship building and bonding. "We are almost even good friends at this point. My hope is that one day we can have a coffee and actually meet each other," said Suzie.

As beneficial as the group has been for Suzie and the other members, Katelin also said it is a joy and a privilege for her to see each participant grow and flourish. "One of the biggest delights for me is seeing each member progress in their own way, finding the specific tools and supports that work best for them, and making huge developments in their careers and hobbies," she said. "We've had group members use their intentional voices and speak up during social gatherings, be a marshal at a golf tournament, host meet and greets for their artwork, and present in front of large groups of people for their professional jobs."

While being diagnosed with a progressive disease such as Parkinson's can be both scary and isolating, Loud Crowd group members find comfort in working through the symptoms of this disease together, challenging themselves to speak with confidence and engage with all life has to offer them.

"This group helps each member see they are not alone and that they can learn strategies and techniques to improve their communication skills that they will use every day," said Katelin. "And often, they come to find that although each member of the group is different, they are all going through this diagnosis together."

"I would like to be in the Loud Crowd group forever," remarked Suzie. "If I don't go, I know my voice will just fall off as it did before. I think it's just a perfect program, it has certainly helped me a great deal."

"The Loud Crowd really does feel like our own little family," said Katelin.

Our group is growing! If you, or someone you know with Parkinson's, can benefit from joining our Loud Crowd group, call us at 831-645-7900 for more information. We'd love to have you.

More info on the Parkinson Voice Project: PVP is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. They help people with Parkinson's and related movement disorders maintain their speech and communication The mission of PVP is for every person diagnosed with Parkinson's to live full, connected lives with intent. Clients first attend the SPEAK OUT!^® program which combines education with speech therapy and daily home practice, and then participants join the Loud Crowd which is the lifelong group interaction that makes the biggest difference.