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HHC Stars Gear Up for Stars Dancing for Parkinson’s Event

May 08, 2019

The second annual Stars Dancing for Parkinson’s fundraiser to benefit the Chase Family Movement Disorders Center at the Hartford HealthCare Ayer Neuroscience Institute will be held May 10, from 6-11:30 p.m. at the Hartford Marriott Downtown.

Backus and Windham Hospital President, Donna Handley, journaled her experience training with her ballroom professional in preparation for the big event. Read her latest excerpt below:

Well, I have 10 dance lessons in the book and there is one thing  for which I am certain.  I will never be a professional ballroom dancer.  All kidding aside, the last three months of training for the Ayer Neuroscience Institute’s Stars Dancing for Parkinson’s with my dance partner/instructor Gunnar Sverrisson has been an amazing experience.

I’m not going to lie to you, I was nervous.  Ballroom dancing, especially in front of a room of my peers, is way out of my comfort zone.  After my first lesson with Gunnar, I wondered how in the world would I be able to put together a dance routine and not embarrass the heck out of myself.  Week after week, lesson after lesson, I started seeing progress.  After a busy day in the east region, I began to look forward to my lessons and started to think to myself, “Hey, I might actually be able to do this.”

With the event just a few days away, I’m so thankful that I decided to leave my comfort zone and take a shot at this.  I’m also happy to support this cause especially because all of great things the Ayer Institute is doing for our patients in the East Region.  I’d also like to wish my fellow participants good luck.  But, I’m a competitive person so I’m in it to win it. I’ve been the Vice President of Operations for the Hartford HealthCare Cancer Institute and President of the East Region, winning Stars Dancing for Parkinson’s would be the professional Triple Crown for me.  LOL.

See you on Friday night.

 

Dr. Camelia Lawrence, director of breast surgery at The Hospital of Central Connecticut and MidState Medical Center, practices her moves in advance of Friday’s “Stars Dancing for Parkinson’s” fundraiser. She’ll be dancing in the styles of East Coast and West Coast Swing. In her youth, Dr. Lawrence played basketball and participated in track and field. She shares that ballroom dancing is a drastic departure from her comfort zone.

Read more about Stars Dancing for Parkinson’s on the Hartford HealthCare NewsHub.

Follow #parkinsons and #dancetomove on social media for live updates from the event.