As research suggests the cause of Parkinson’s disease is a combination of genetic and environmental factors, Washington-area residents seek to inform others diagnosed with Parkinson’s that they’re not alone this Parkinson’s Awareness Month.

Parkinson’s disease is a chronic, progressive, neurological disease and is the second-most common neurodegenerative disease in the U.S. Parkinson’s is caused by a combination of genes, environmental and lifestyle influences, according to the Parkinson’s Foundation. Genetics cause about 10-15% of all Parkinson’s, while environmental risk factors associated with PD include head injury, area of residence, exposure to pesticides, and more.

Columbus Junction resident Paul Morgan was diagnosed with PD in 2008 upon noticing tremors that developed over approximately a year. At 72 years old, Morgan keeps a regimen of walking anywhere from two to seven miles each day. He also joined the new rock steady boxing class offered at the Washington YMCA branch, which has helped him release frustrations that the disease brings. Morgan has experienced memory loss from PD, and he shares how else it has impacted his life, “I like guns, I like rifles, shooting stuff. Pretty hard to get on a target now but I still do some shooting. It shows you there you’re pretty limited. I used to race stock cars and I got a grandkid that’s kind of looking at it. It’s getting a little bit hard to do some of the things that you need to do when you’re working on stuff. I now realize there’s limits, like when I was 25 or 30 there was no limits. Now I find out there is.”

Morgan believes his diagnosis is linked with his exposure to Agent Orange while he served in the Vietnam War, which the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs has recognized the herbicide’s association with the disease. Morgan also connects his diagnosis with Paraquat, a commercial herbicide that is banned in 32 countries but was reapproved for use in the U.S. by the Environmental Protection Agency in 2020. Without additional action, paraquat will remain legal for sale and use in the U.S. for the next 15 years. You can hear more from Morgan during a three-part Halcyon House Washington Page program focusing on Parkinson’s Awareness Month on air Tuesday and at kciiradio.com.