Gerald Wayne Carpenter, known by "Jerry" to most, lives in Camarillo with his wife of 37 years, Judy (Foster) Carpenter.  Jerry and Judy have two sons, Jeremy and Jonathan.

 

For many years before his retirement in 2005, Jerry was a Captain for the California Department of Forestry.  Jerry's last assignment before his well-earned retirement was as a Fire Captain at the California Youth Authority (CYA) in Camarillo, CA.

Jerry was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease six months after beginning his retirement.  For many years, Jerry helped to put out fires to protect all of us.  Now is our chance to “Put the Fire Out For Parkinson’s” in honor of Jerry and his life’s work. 

Jerry’s story is only one of far too many. 

 

In the United States, 60,000 new cases of Parkinson's disease will be diagnosed this year alone.

While the average age of onset is 60 years old, an estimated five to ten percent of people with Parkinson’s Disease experience onset at age 40 or younger.  During these past few years, Jerry has been lucky to participate in four different medical trials aimed to treat his Parkinson’s Disease. 

There is no known cure for Parkinson's Disease. Treatments that are currently available only temporarily mask symptoms while the disease continues to get worse.

 

On October 25, 2008, in honor of Jerry Carpenter, we will do our part to “Put the Fire Out for Parkinson’s.”  We need your help.  Please support us by making a donation directly to our Team Fox page. 

 

With your generosity, we hope to make a difference in Jerry’s life, and in the lives of all people living with Parkinson’s Disease.