A Legacy Rooted in Hope, Optimism and Community

For Mike and Leslie Shelburne, supporting The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) was an easy decision - one that was rooted in a desire to help others facing Parkinson's disease (PD) for generations to come.

Married for nearly 41 years, Mike and Leslie's life together has been centered on friends, family and the relationships around them. Over the years they've cultivated connections in their local community, and after Mike was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2017, they found a larger one to be part of: MJFF.

Turning to MJFF after Mike's diagnosis, they shared, "Michael J. Fox is kind of the face of Parkinson's. And right off the bat people told us to go look at the Foundation's website and see what they have that can help you." So that's what they did. They have found the Foundation's resources, webinars, research and more to be invaluable aids to them throughout their Parkinson's journey.

Their confidence in the Foundation comes from years of seeing its work firsthand. From the scientific updates to the practical support the Foundation provides, Leslie says, "I appreciate the research so much. I am not a medical person at all. I'm not a research-oriented person, but it has been so much information and so much moving forward over just a few years."

Mike has also dedicated himself to helping others in his local Parkinson's community in San Antonio, Texas. He leads a boxing class for people with PD and connects them with support groups, resources and more. As Mike puts it, "We're going to make each other feel good on bad days and hold hands and punch punching bags when we need to do that."

As they looked to the future, Mike and Leslie knew they wanted to do more, sharing, "One of the obvious things that we wanted to do is do something to support The Michael J. Fox Foundation and Parkinson's research. Because Parkinson's is a reality that we live every day."

After watching a webinar on charitable giving, they saw an opportunity. They decided to leave a gift to MJFF in their trust, a gift known as a bequest. Mike and Leslie saw this as a way to invest in a future where better treatments - and ultimately a cure - are possible.

The Shelburnes are hopeful for a future without Parkinson's, and they know that their gift will go toward accelerating progress for everyone living with Parkinson's today, while moving closer to a cure for tomorrow.

"We feel that we have to do something to help others that have Parkinson's. And doing our part so there might be a cure for Parkinson's one day - that's a great legacy to leave."

August is Make-A-Will Month, an annual reminder that we have the power to secure our legacy and protect our loved ones through creating or updating our estate plan. To help support you during the estate planning process, we have a centralized spot for everything you need to know.

• Liv Newlon

  Communications Specialist