WEEKI WACHEE, Fla. — It may have been love at first sight for a pair of high school sweethearts, but over the last 50 years, that love for each other has turned into a passion for even a bigger cause, finding a cure for a rare disease that’s been a part of their family for generations.
Joe and Elisa Parks' relationship will always have that child-like sparkle, and it’s probably because they met when they were children—just 11 years old.
“He said from the moment he held my hand he knew this was the woman he was going to marry,” said Elisa.
Joe and Elisa went on to get married, but just a few years later, Elisa’s sister and mom were diagnosed with a rare genetic illness known as Huntington’s Disease.
“Huntington’s Disease is really like having ALS, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimers simultaneously, it's a horrific disease,” said Joe.
With no cure in sight, their families banded together, as Joe’s mom ended up caring for Elisa’s mom.
“I think my mother did it a little bit for me on some level because I think she knew that I was eventually going to have to do this for Elisa,” said Joe.
Sure enough, Elisa tested positive for Huntington’s Disease in 1993.
“I cried all the way home, all the way home,” said Elisa.
Then the Parks thought about their own sons, also vulnerable to the disease. However, if there was any family built to cope with the circumstances, it was Joe and Elisa. They have become champions for other families living with the disease through a variety of support groups.
“And then everybody, in turn, kind of shares their story, and you share yours, and there is just a molding of information,” said Joe.
The couple has traveled the country and even the world participating in Team Hope events, and helping to raise more than $20 million dollars in an effort to find a cure.
“And I’m just waiting for the cure, I want to be in the best shape possible when it arrives, I’m sure it will,” said Elisa.
The next Team Hope event is this weekend in Orlando. For more information, go to HDSA.org.
