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There’s a saying that goes, “lightning doesn't strike the same place twice,” but a woman in Mankato, Minn. says it did for her.

It first struck years ago when Sue Olson was diagnosed with breast cancer and then again in 2021 when she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

The Minnesota mother and gardener is one of nearly 17,000 others in our state who has Parkinson’s, a brain disorder that causes uncontrollable movements.

one of the highest rates of the chronic disease per capita.

MPR News host Angela Davis speaks with Sue about her story, from feeling grief to finding gratitude every day. Angela also talks to Sue’s husband, Dr. Robert Olson, a psychiatrist at the Mankato Clinic. He started researching resilience after witnessing his wife’s emotional strength. 

Also, a neurologist who treats and researches Parkinson’s talks about the latest findings about the disease and how it affects people’s physical and mental health. 

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MPR News host Angela Davis speaks with her guests about the latest research into Parkinson’s disease and lessons from a Mankato couple who practices and teaches resilience.

Finding hope and strength while living with Parkinson’s disease

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