Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency Director Brian Love and Michigan Veterans Trust Fund Director Lindell Holm recently visited the Veterans with Parkinson’s Support Group at the Michigan Parkinson Foundation to recognize five Vietnam veterans.
Love, a Marine Corps veteran, has been traveling across Michigan pinning hundreds of Vietnam-era veterans, thanking each one for their service and officially welcoming them home.
“By honoring those service members that served during Vietnam, we acknowledge their sacrifice to our country and thank [them] for their courageous service,” he said.
Parkinson’s disease affects approximately 1.5 million people in the United States and about 35,000 individuals in Michigan. Among veterans, it is estimated that 110,000 are living with Parkinson's disease the United States, according to the National Library of Medicine.
The Michigan Parkinson Foundation is an independent nonprofit charitable corporation that supports individuals impacted by Parkinson’s disease and other related movement disorders. It offers medication assistance, educational programs, exercise classes and respite care to caregivers. The foundation currently sponsors 76 support groups and services to all 83 counties in the state.
Marine Corps veteran Nate Jolliff, who serves as a Michigan Parkinson Foundation Board member, and Marc Trail, Navy veteran, co-launched the ‘Veterans with Parkinson’s Support Group’ in January 2024 to provide a safe space for veterans to seek support.
Jolliff joined the Michigan Parkinson Foundation after being diagnosed with the disease due to drinking the contaminated water at Camp Lejeune during his military service from 1984 to 1988.
“Many veterans living with Parkinson’s, like myself, look to the Michigan Parkinson Foundation to help them get better or at least make the journey manageable,” said Jolliff. “Within the first year [of the ‘Veterans with Parkinson’s Support Group’] we’ve gone from two to 55 participants and we continue to grow.”
Jolliff invited Holm to the Jan. 16 meeting of the support group to talk about the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (MVAA) and how the Michigan Veterans Trust Fund (MVTF) can be helpful to veterans experiencing an emergent need.
“It was very meaningful to be able to share with them about the MVTF and the emergency grant program since veterans experiencing health challenges, like Parkinson’s disease, may be able to really benefit from the grant,” said Holm. “Though we don’t cover much in medical expenses, we can help in other ways such as necessary home modifications or other financial shortfalls that are unforeseen.”
After Holm’s presentation, Love made a surprise appearance to personally recognize and pin five Vietnam-era veterans and give them the proper ‘welcome home’ they deserved.
“It was very emotional and I’m not sure if there was a dry eye in that conference room,” Jolliff said. “I couldn’t help but have a smiling appreciation for MVAA and the great work being done to recognize our veteran community.”