'My fear was confirmed when I was told I had Parkinson's at 45 - but the biggest feeling was relief'
A Black Country woman who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease at just 45 years old has told her story of "hiding away" as her symptoms took hold, her relief to finally be diagnosed - and raising money towards a cure.
"It was like joining a club I've never heard about, and one with a lifetime membership" - that's how Faye Boucher described being diagnosed with the rare form of Parkinson's known as Young Onset Parkinson's Disease (YOPD).
Faye, a quality and access officer with Wolverhampton Council's Education Team, from Sedgley, was only 45 when she received a preliminary diagnosis, only a year or so after experiencing its first symptoms.
Now, Faye is sharing her story of living with the disease to help raise awareness of the condition and its symptoms.
Faye, who was formally diagnosed in September last year, said: "When I look back, I started to notice symptoms back in 2022. I already had arthritis in both knees so I put the stiffness in my legs down to that.
