Buddy to Bestie: An Unlikely Pairing
When Kat Hill left her job in Oregon in early 2015, she knew something was wrong with her body but she didn’t know what it was. She just knew she could no longer do the work. Months later, she received her diagnosis of Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease.
In California, Sree Sripathy was trying to figure out why her left arm wasn’t moving. She thought it was due to a back strain that was plaguing her or the carpal tunnel she’d been diagnosed with in her 20s. Once she went to a Neurologist, she quickly received the diagnosis, Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease.
Sree’s neurologist mentioned the World Parkinson Congress that was happening in Portland, OR in 2016. Sree not only registered but also signed up for the WPC Buddies Program. She needed someone to talk to. Because the congress was in her backyard, Kat signed up to attend, hoping to learn more about the science behind the disease. Neither of them knew many people their age with the disease. They were looking for community.
Their pairing was unusual. Sree was single without children and had been working in Information Technology for over 15 years. Kat was married with three children and had been working as the Director of Midwifery for a large inner city health system. Yet the first time they spoke on the phone, they felt an immediate connection, a kinship. They understood each other, the impact a diagnosis has on career, the impact on psyche and what it’s like to live with symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. Despite their diverse backgrounds, they found comfort in getting to know each other.
That connection was further cemented when they met in person at WPC 2016 in Portland, OR. A late-night meal in a cozy restaurant with dark teak walls was the scene to cement a friendship that became forged in the steel and spirit of resilience. After the Congress, their phone calls continued on a regular basis further strengthening their bond.
Initially Parkinson’s was the main topic. i.e., medication, routine, exercise, symptoms and side effects. But throughout the months of maintaining communication, they opened up about their families, everyday struggles, their dreams and what the kids or nieces and nephews were doing. They became friends that were more like family.
That friendship held fast and resulted in several in person visits throughout the years. It got them both through COVID, welcomed other friends into their small family and eventually led to the creation of The Women’s Parkinson’s Project, with another friend they met at the WPC 2019 in Kyoto.
Without the WPC, they would not have met. Their group of women would not have had the tight network that was more like family than friends. The Women’s Parkinson’s Project would never have formed.
Now, both Kat and Sree are volunteers for the WPC in Barcelona 2023. Sree is working with the WPC Buddies program. Kat is working on various subcommittees.
The WPC Buddies changed their lives. We encourage you to sign up. You never know how it may change yours!
 Kat Hill
is a Co-Founder of the Women's Parkinsons' Project. She was diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease after delivering over 800 babies in her career as a Nurse Practitioner and Midwife. She is an ambassador for the Davis Phinney Foundation and is publishing her first book, titled “Being Well.”
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 Sree Sripathy
is a Co-Founder of the Women’s Parkinson’s Project. She was diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease in 2015. She is a writer, photographer and artist, full time photojournalist and is an ambassador for the Davis Phinney Foundation.
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Ideas and opinions expressed in this post reflect that of the author(s) solely. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions or positions of the World Parkinson Coalition®