The tremor was the first sign. It was probably just stress or too much caffeine, she thought.

But the day Jayne Godfrey fell while she was running and couldn’t throw out her arms to catch herself, she knew something wasn’t right.

At the time, Godfrey was a 39-year-old mother living in Spanish Fort with a successful paralegal career, a husband, two children and a passion for running.

When she went to the doctor about her fall, he almost immediately uttered four words that changed her life forever.

“You have Parkinson’s disease.”

Because Godfrey was under 40 and didn’t have a genetic predisposition for the progressive, incurable disease, she couldn’t accept her doctor’s diagnosis at first, and she saw dozens of others to get different opinions.

“I really did not take the diagnosis well and didn’t even accept it as a fact for a couple of years,” she said. “I had a really hard struggle with it. But things started unraveling in my life, and I had to face it.”

Now 44, Godfrey has not only accepted her diagnosis, but has also learned to live a fulfilling life with Parkinson’s disease.

Through yoga, medication and keeping her stress level low, Godfrey has been able to slow down the progression of the disease and live her life one day at a time.

She has faith that God uses her disease for good, she said.

“I don’t believe that God gave me Parkinson’s, but I believe God uses Parkinson’s to help me become a better person, to inspire me to help others, to become less selfish and to stop and take note of every day and be thankful for the small things instead of just rushing through life,” Godfrey said. “I’m not going to say that I don’t get scared or depressed or that I don’t wish it away, but I value the experiences, people and friends I’ve had through this so much.”

One experience Godfrey is especially thankful for was meeting Michael J. Fox, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1991. Before he was diagnosed, she said, Parkinson’s disease was thought of as an older person’s disease and was accepted as part of the aging process. There was not much connected research devoted to finding a cure, or more importantly, testing therapies that make the disease easier to live with.

“His foundation has been able to connect areas of research together so people aren’t spinning their wheels and all the research dollars are being funneled where they need to be in the most promising areas” Godfrey said.

Like Fox, Godfrey is a pioneer in raising funds and awareness for Parkinson’s disease in Baldwin County. She is an active member of Team Fox, the community fundraising faction of the Michael J. Fox Foundation. Every year, she and her family plan a fundraiser for the foundation, and she has raised almost $60,000 for Parkinson’s research since 2009. 

When Godfrey was diagnosed, there were no support groups available, and it was hard to get in touch with other Parkinson’s patients.

She decided there should be. Now, there are three support groups in the county, and local people affected by Parkinson’s disease can come together and share their challenges, solutions and stories.

“We talk about the problems that each one of us has, and everybody shares their solutions,” said Susie Glickman, a 67-year-old Fairhope resident who is a member of a local Parkinson’s support group. “We gain a lot of insight by sharing with each other. It’s been such a blessing to have all of these people in my life. It’s valuable to be able to have other people who share the same problem you do—nobody understands it as well as someone who’s got the same problem.”

Sept. 13, Godfrey is hosting her fourth annual fundraiser, “Delta Starlight Shining for the Cure at the 5 Rivers Delta Hall from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

“We always have a big party and have a great time, but this time I wanted to make it a little more educational without taking away from the fun,” Godfrey said. “I want to raise awareness as much as I want to raise funds.”

The fundraiser will included a catered barbecue dinner, a silent auction, live music by the Wes Loper band and free beer and wine. Information about Parkinson’s disease, the state of research and the Fox Foundation will be presented as well.

Tickets are $50, and all proceeds go to support Parkinson’s research.

But people with Parkinson’s disease aren’t the only ones who benefit from the research, Godfrey said. Parkinson’s is related to several other degenerative neurological diseases, like Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS), multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer’s disease.

“We believe that if a cure is found for one of those diseases, then the others will piggy-back on them,” Godfrey said. “We have a large percentage of those illnesses in our area—in Fairhope, ALS ratios to population are astounding.”

Godfrey’s goal is to raise $20,000 during this year’s fundraiser, an amount she said sometimes feels inconsequential compared to some of the other community fundraising efforts within the Fox Foundation.

“It feels insignificant at the time, but it does make a difference,” Godfrey said. “It is a drop of the bucket in some ways, but every drop in the bucket fills it up.”

Although Parkinson’s changed Godfrey’s life forever, it did not ruin it, she said.

“I wish I could give the disease back, but at the same time, there are things that I’ve done that are things I never thought I could do,” Godfrey said. “The people I’ve met and the experiences I’ve had—I’m really grateful for them, and they’ve changed my life in a positive way. There’s a silver lining in everything, really.”

For more information about the fundraiser, the Michael J. Fox Foundation, Parkinson’s disease or joining a support group, contact Jayne Godfrey at godfrey.jane@gmail.com or 251-455-9919.