I felt like I was slightly drunk for two years. I had two brain scans, several blood tests… but no one knew what was going on. A psychiatrist diagnosed me with severe depression, and I was put on anti-depressants and anti-psychotics – I went into a catatonic state. After I was admitted to the hospital, the physician was clued in and diagnosed me with Parkinson’s. 

I have a Masters in Health Science, so am accustomed to reading medical journals and research articles. After my diagnosis, I did as much research as I could, which led me to the Michael J Fox Foundation website. Patients in one of the websites forums were discussing HealthMatch. So many clinical trials seem to be based in the US, so it was great to access trials within Australia.

HealthMatch has been such an easy process. The simplicity of the whole thing makes it clear it’s very much tailored to patient needs. When I matched with a clinical trial, I ran it by my GP and neurologist and pushed for them to make a referral. It’s my first clinical trial, I’m excited to be participating in it – and in solving my condition.