By Shaurya Shaurya

Copyright walesonline

A Swansea councillor who was diagnosed with early onset Parkinson’s has opened up about living with the diagnosis. Cllr Andrea Williams, who represents the Morriston ward at Swansea Council, is taking part in the Admiral Swansea Bay 10k to raise money for Parkinson’s UK. Cllr Williams, who also serves as the city council ‘s deputy leader, is empathetic about the struggles faced by those living with Parkinson’s , wishing people understood more about the disease. Her mother also suffers from the disease, and Cllr Williams says she “knew it all along” but having a diagnosis has meant that she is now able to undergo the right treatment. Stay informed on the latest health news by signing up to our newsletter here “The first symptoms that I noticed were about three years ago,” she recalled. “I had a tremor in my right hand and pain in my shoulder. “The symptoms presented exactly the same way that my mum’s symptoms presented when she first knew she had Parkinson’s.” Cllr Williams was diagnosed in September 2024, but the diagnosis brought a sense of relief. “There was a real relief because I had known that I had Parkinson’s and I didn’t have the diagnosis, and I wasn’t on the right medication.” Having the same diagnosis as her mother proved both challenging and helpful. “It was a bit of both. It was helpful in the respect that I recognised the symptoms but it was also quite challenging because my mum’s Parkinson’s is quite advanced,” Cllr Williams added. “So looking at mum, I see what my future could be like. She’s coping, she’s such a strong person, she’s a real inspiration, and she copes really well but having Parkinson’s and living with it daily is very challenging.” Cllr Williams explained that having Parkinson’s can make a person’s day-to-day life more difficult. “It’s challenging holding a cup and saucer because the tremor can be quite bad and even while sending texts and email you tend to push the wrong buttons, ” she said. “Sometimes I send an email when I haven’t finished writing it because the tremor bounces around and pushes the wrong button. So it can be a bit frustrating.” Cllr Williams says living with Parkinson’s has actually made her stronger. “It has made me think very carefully about the future because having Parkinson’s, having an illness does make you re-evaluate the important things in life. “But I feel it’s made me stronger in the sense that I’m not going to give in to the illness,” she said. “I’m going to fight it all the way. Everyone responds differently but my response has been to tackle it head on.” The diagnosis hasn’t impacted Cllr Williams’ ability to do her job, and she adds that the experience has helped her have more “empathy” for people who live with illnesses. It has also helped her in working out more, including running. “I really enjoy it not just in terms of physical fitness, but also in terms of mental fitness as well,” she said. “I highly recommend it.” She added: “I think that you can never underestimate the importance of keeping fit and well.” The diagnosis has also pushed Cllr Williams towards a healthier lifestyle. “I eat more healthily, I’m more aware of diet and lifestyle,” she explained. “I try to avoid stress whenever I can. It’s given me a much more positive focus on day-to-day things.” Cllr Williams said she feels “blessed” to have a network of family and friends that have supported her through this diagnosis but wants people to be more aware of the challenges people with Parkinson’s face. “There is an aspect of advanced Parkinson’s that people don’t generally understand,” she added. “You can get sticky feet where the brain is trying to send signals to the feet to move, and sometimes that signal can cause a delay and that person can be stuck on the spot for a few minutes. “I’m not sure people understand what that is. So when you see someone out and about and they’re not moving straight away, and are stuck on the spot, just think that the person might have Parkinson’s. Just be patient and eventually they will move forward.” Cllr Williams is now taking part in the Admiral Swansea Bay 10K run to be held on Sunday, September 14 to help raise money for Parkinson’s UK. “I really want to help Parkinson’s UK to raise awareness but mostly to find a cure,” she said. “I know that they’re making superb progress in that respect. So the more money that people can give for the charity, the more help can be provided to find a cure.” You can donate to Cllr Williams’ fundraiser by clicking here.