People With Parkinson's Disease Complete The Mannequin Challenge To Raise Awareness

The illness causes involuntary shaking of the body.

A group of people living with Parkinson’s disease have completed the Mannequin Challenge to raise awareness of the illness.

One of the most common symptoms of the condition is involuntary shaking of particular parts of the body, which can make standing still or completing some everyday tasks impossible.

According to the NHS, the condition is caused by a loss of nerve cells in part of the brain called the substantia nigra. This leads to a reduction in a chemical called dopamine in the brain, which is vital in regulating body movement.

There are an estimated 127,000 people in the UK living with the condition and although it is more common is people over the age of 50, one in 20 people with Parkinson’s experience symptoms before 40.

The poignant Mannequin Challenge video was posted on Facebook by Australian charity Parkinson’s NSW, along with the caption: “For people with Parkinson’s, life is their challenge.”

The video has been viewed more than 76,000 times since it was posted earlier this week.

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