Fighting to change Parkinson’s care
The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation was established in February 2012 to offer support to nonprofit organizations successfully working to empower, educate, nurture and nourish people during what is often the darkest times of their lives.
Best known for his business successes, Bob Parsons is the founder of GoDaddy and CEO and founder of YAM Worldwide, which is home to his entrepreneurial ventures in the fields of motorcycles, golf, real estate, marketing, innovation and philanthropy. He is a U.S. Marine Corps Vietnam veteran and a recipient of the Purple Heart Medal, Combat Action Ribbon and Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry.
Renee Parsons is a YAM Worldwide executive and dedicated philanthropist. Her previous professional experience includes working in hospitality sales and serving as the corporate events planner and VP of community outreach, leading GoDaddy’s philanthropic work worldwide.
The Parsons have made several significant gifts to the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center (MAPC) at Barrow over the years, totaling more than $9,000,000.
Bringing top-notch care into patient homes
In 2017, The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation announced a $4 million gift to Barrow Neurological Foundation, in continued support of the MAPC to establish the Lonnie and Muhammad Ali Legacy Care Program. The gift underscores the Parsons’ commitment to improving care for patients treated at the center, as well as advancing research and education to benefit the medical community worldwide.
“The Champ didn’t accept anything less than the very best in his fight against Parkinson’s,” says entrepreneur and philanthropist Bob Parsons. “This program will allow the center to give every patient the same level of personalized care that he received.”
Through the Lonnie and Muhammad Ali Legacy Care Program, the medical staff at the MAPC will be able to provide a new level of support to those they serve. For patients, particularly those who are housebound, this includes multi-disciplinary care in their homes and the ability to communicate remotely with their physicians via video and telemedicine. Extending the care the center provides into patients’ homes has long been the vision of Muhammad Ali’s wife, Lonnie Ali.
“Lonnie shared with us her belief that everyone engaged in the fight against this debilitating disease should get the same attention and dedication from doctors and caregivers that her husband received,” says businesswoman and philanthropist Renee Parsons. “Bob and I are honored to help advance Lonnie’s vision of helping those who need it most.”
The Parsons have worked closely with the center’s leadership in recent years to advance the care of those struggling with Parkinson’s. The formation of the Lonnie and Muhammad Ali Legacy Care Program is one more step in the fight to change the care and treatment of Parkinson’s and to one day beat this terrible disease.
Read Scott’s story to find out how the MAPC has helped him manage his disease.