One man from Brookfield is raising awareness about Parkinson's Disease and he's doing so in a creative way.
Inspired by Eminem's 2000s hit, "Slim Shady," Sequoia Lowe created "Slim Shaky." It's an upbeat song that is meant to share his mother's story and inspire others with Parkinson's.
His lyrics expose the struggle and strength of two women with Parkinson's.
What started as a conversation around the dinner table has turned into a big passion project for Lowe.
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"I was in my final semester at Western Connecticut State University and I had the opportunity to make a senior project. This was also around a time in my life when I was thinking a lot about how I can create positive change in the world," Lowe said.
Starring in the music video is Lowe's mother Joni. She was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2013.
Also in it is Heather Kennedy, who is Joni's friend. She also has Parkinson's and has become an advocate.
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After learning about their experiences, Lowe wrote, filmed and edited the song.
"Part of the reason why I felt empowered to create this is that I love music and I'm drawn to the idea of making music," Lowe said.
According to the Parkinson's Foundation, nearly one million people in the U.S. are living with the disease.
To support this community, Lowe also launched a fundraiser for Parkinson's research through the Michael J. Fox Foundation. He said he hopes his song encourages listeners to give back, too.
"I realized that this was an opportunity to give my mom her rapper moment and see her breakthrough, her comfort zone, and do awesome stuff and create that for my mom. Make that a reality and create this incredible impactful film that shows people what life with Parkinson's Disease is really like," Lowe said.
Lowe plans to release his song on Youtube and social media on Saturday, January 14. He said he hopes the song educates and inspires the audience in a fun and uplifting way.
