What Happened at the World Premiere of Third Base Surprised Even Us We knew people were excited about the world premiere of Boys of Summer: Third Base at the World Parkinson Congress in Phoenix. We did not expect what happened next. The line to get in snaked across the conference floor. Some knew about the first three films, others were coming in blank. When the doors opened, the seats were quickly filled. The spillover audience lined the walls. Others sat on the floor. By th

My dad has lived with Parkinson’s disease for more than 25 years. Like many people, when he was first diagnosed, we mostly thought about tremors, stiffness, and slowness. The things we could see. But Parkinson’s is so much more than the visible things. A few years ago, my dad began having hallucinations. Dan & Robert Cochrane at the last A's game at the Oakland Coliseum. More about the Boys of Summer documentary series at www.bosmovie.com. Sometimes they were almost harmless

There are wonderful films about Parkinson’s disease (PD). Important, brave, educational, and inspiring films. But there has never been another documentary series about PD like Boys of Summer. Four films spanning 22 years of lived history with this stupid, poorly understood, beast of a disease. 2004 We didn't set out to make history. We just kept coming back to tell more story, mostly because PD has refused to leave. Michael J. Fox has said his foundation is around until PD is

Rewriting Parkinson’s… one story at a time. For years, our work has lived under the name Yes, And…eXercise!, a program rooted in improvisation, storytelling, and the belief that even in the face of Parkinson’s, there is still space to create, connect, and grow. That belief hasn’t changed. But something deeper has come into focus: This work was never just about exercise. It was never just about classes or programs. It has always been about something more fundamental: How do we

There are movies you enjoy. There are movies you remember. And then there are movies that re-wire your DNA. For me, that movie was Star Wars. I was seven years old. And I didn’t just see it…I entered it. I saw it three times in the theater (that’s all we had back then), returning each time as fast as humanly possible. I remember feeling delightfully nauseous watching Darth Vader’s Tie Fighter spin away after Han Solo cleared the way for Luke to make the miracle shot. When the

Today was supposed to mark a turning point. Every business has to reach and maintain the heart of its customers or risk breaking the relationship. After three years of patchwork care, including rotating aides, last-minute cancellations, and more “emergencies” than any system should reasonably absorb, we made the decision to move my dad from a piecemeal approach with two agencies into full 24-hour care with a single new agency. A new era. More structure. More reliability. Less

On Saturday April 18th, I had the honor of standing in a room filled with strength, honesty, humor, and something that feels like it’s getting harder to find in the world: real connection. To the Western Pennsylvania Parkinson Foundation, and to every person who showed up for the Living Well Conference : thank you. Christine Haythorn, CEO, Parkinson's Foundation of Western Pennsylvania and Robert Cochrane, PhD at the Living Well Conference in Pittsburgh, PA - Saturday, April

There’s a version of this story some people think you’re supposed to tell. It’s the one where you find the silver lining. Where you talk about resilience. Where you say things like, “We’re managing.” I’ve told that version. I’ve lived inside it. But today I’m not interested in that story. Today I’m angry. And I have the right to be. Shout out to Michael J. Fox and Harrison Ford for lighting the fuse with permission to use two words as a rally cry: “Fuck Parkinson’s.” A few y

written by Dawn MacLaughlin, PhD of Rise Above Parkinson's

We just received official word from the United States Patent and Trademark Office: Success Stories™ is now trademarked. And while that might sound like a legal milestone, it’s something much bigger. It’s a declaration. Why We Did It Because storytelling, done well, is one of the most powerful forces we have to reshape how Parkinson’s is understood. Not updates, symptom lists, nor explanations - Success Stories™ move people, stick, and travel. We didn’t trademark storytelling.

For many of us who live with or alongside Parkinson’s disease, the instinct is to fight. Fight the symptoms. Fight the progression. Fight the unfairness of it all. In a world that celebrates victory, perseverance, and overcoming the odds, the language of battle feels natural. We talk about “beating” disease, “winning” against adversity, or “defeating” our limitations. I’ve even heard people say Parkinson’s is going to be sorry it ever met me - as if this were a standoff in a

There’s a moment in Stand By Me that never lets go of you. Four boys. A narrow, rickety railroad bridge. Water over a hundred feet below. Nowhere to step off. When’s the next train coming? Nobody knows. But we have to go. There’s no going around. On to the bridge. No turning back. And then, out on the bridge and fully exposed, there’s a distant warning call from a bird of prey. The kind of sound that doesn’t ask, it tells. The rails begin to hum. Thick, charging, black smo

For those of you who are just here for the picks, they're at the bottom. For those who like a story, read on. My history with the Oscars goes back a long way. Not all the way back to the beginning of cinema, mind you, I’m not that old, but far enough that the Academy Awards feel stitched into the fabric of how I learned to dream. One of my earliest Oscar memories is Sally Field standing at the podium, emotional and radiant, declaring, “You like me! You really like me!” It be

"You may not think you're going to make it. You may want to quit. But if you keep your eye on the ball, you can accomplish anything." — Hank Aaron Communities across the country have begun gathering, sometimes in large auditoriums, sometimes in small support group rooms, sometimes online, to watch Boys of Summer: Short Stop . What started more than 20 years ago as a film about a father and son navigating Parkinson’s disease while visiting all 30 Major League Baseball parks h

Don’t feel bad. “Uh…” is a very common response. Have you ever watched a kid burst into spontaneous play, giggling, dancing, making up stories on the fly, and wished you could tap into that same carefree energy? For most adults, routines, responsibilities, and stress create mental rigidity. The Jam for Joy provides a fun, supportive space to loosen up, boost your brain health, and immediately bring more joy into your life. We’re so confident you’ll like it we offer you to tr

“A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men.” – Willy Wonka Last Halloween, my beard became part of a bit. I dressed as Gene Frenkel, Will Ferrell’s iconic SNL cowbell character. To make the look, I dyed my beard from salt-and-pepper to nut brown. It worked. And it was fun. As I leaned into the character, really exploring the space, baby , I started playing with the idea of “More Cowbell for Parkinson’s.” Parkinson’s showed up uninvited in our lives, so w

A few weeks ago, I did something simple but meaningful: I wrote a fan letter to Adam Sandler. This is akin to throwing a message in a bottle and tossing it to sea. I wasn’t really expecting a reply. I wrote to Adam about his Netflix special Love You , because his show helped shape the film I’m currently finishing, Boys of Summer: Third Base . It's the fourth film in our documentary series about my dad Dan and our journey through his life with Parkinson’s disease (PD). In Love

I had the pleasure of talking with Eli Pollard , Executive Director of the World Parkinson’s Congress (WPC) , on Your Daily Dose of Dopamine . If you haven’t seen the interview yet, you can watch it here: What struck me most wasn’t just the breadth of topics we covered, but the genuine heart behind the WPC mission, and what that means for people living with Parkinson’s (PD), researchers, clinicians, care partners, advocates, and artists alike. When the first World Parkinso

Some songs are written. Others are lived. “Dad Was Here”, crafted with my long-time composing partner, Will Townsley, PhD (a.k.a. Brother Will ), grew out of miles on the road, long conversations between innings, and the quiet understanding that forms when a parent and child share something bigger than either of them. It sits at the emotional center of Boys of Summer: Third Base , the fourth film in the Boys of Summer documentary series that spans more than two decades of

If you’re caring for someone with a chronic illness, you’ve probably gotten very good at holding things together. You manage appointments. You anticipate needs. You stay calm when things feel anything but. And somewhere along the way, your own story can start to fade into the background. This Stand By Me Cinema Therapy class isn’t about fixing anything. It’s not about writing “well.” It’s about having a place where you get to show up, honestly, creatively and wholly. Usin