Wednesday, Mar. 03, 2010

No prisoner to Parkinson's

As symptoms surface, Garner mayor's faith sustains him

Eighteen months ago, Ronnie Williams was visiting Vandora Springs Elementary School when a second-grader asked a question Williams had been asking himself.

"She said, 'Mr. Mayor, why are you shaking?'" Williams recalled. "So I decided then I better go see a doctor."

Two months later, Williams, 61, was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. The symptoms of the brain disorder had already started to appear: Williams shuffled his feet when he walked, and his hands trembled. At first, Williams said he had a "pity party."

"Why me, Lord?" he asked.

But Williams, a town leader for more than two decades, said that pity party didn't last long. Instead, he turned to prayer. And the well-known mayor, who likes to get out and talk to townspeople, decided not to keep his disease private.

Williams said Parkinson's hasn't held him back. He still goes to ribbon cuttings for new businesses, attends community events and leads three Town Council meetings each month. He walks three or four miles every day, a habit he began after he had a heart attack in 1992.

"I feel great," Williams said.

He wants to continue serving as mayor until at least 2015, which would mark 10 years in the post. But Williams said if his condition worsens, he will resign or won't seek re-election.

Doctors told Williams the disease wouldn't kill him but that it could make him miserable as he gets older. It's getting harder for him to navigate the stairs in the multi-level house he shares with his wife, Betsy, so the couple might have to move. He doesn't volunteer as an usher as often at Aversboro Road Baptist Church, because his leg shakes as he walks to the altar.

Research

About 1 million Americans have Parkinson's, and the National Parkinson Foundation estimates that 60,000 or so new cases are diagnosed in this country every year.

Nerve cells in part of the brain die and stop producing dopamine, a chemical that affects body movement.

There is no cure for Parkinson's, but some studies suggest stem cells could be the best defense against the disease. Damaged cells could be replaced with healthy ones. Stem-cell research is controversial, but it gives Williams hope.

"If it doesn't happen in my lifetime, hopefully some funding and some research will make life easier for a lot of people," he said.

For now, Williams finds joy in the simple things. He takes his 4-year-old granddaughter to the park.

"He's continued with his life just like he didn't have it," Betsy Williams said.

A test

Many people in this town might remember Williams as the guy who delivered their mail every day. He retired from the U.S. Postal Service in 2003, after 36 years.

Williams grew up in Garner and graduated from Garner High in 1966. After a stint at Wake Technical Community College, he was drafted into the Army in 1968 and served two years in Vietnam. When he returned, he earned a two-year business degree and later served as the chief of the town's emergency medical services for three years.

He got into town politics in 1985. As mayor, Williams is often a spokesman for Garner. He likes to be the first to know what's going on.

When an explosion rocked the ConAgra Foods plant on June 9, Williams was at the news conferences. He slept six hours in three days.

Some people who saw him on television told him he looked tired.

"It slowed me down, I think," Williams said.

The tragedy continues to weigh heavily on him. Four people died in the blast, and dozens more were injured. ConAgra laid off more than 300 workers after the explosion, and Williams has been vocal about wanting the company to rebuild in Garner and bring back those employees. The plant has offered well-paying jobs in town for decades, but now it's unclear whether ConAgra will stay.

"It was a test, and I think I weathered it pretty well," Williams said.

Councilman Gra Singleton, who has served with Williams for 16 years, said the mayor might face tough choices ahead as he deals with Parkinson's.

"He loves Garner," Singleton said. "He gives a lot of time as mayor."

Williams plans to continue giving a lot of time, for as long as his body will let him.

"I'm not being held prisoner by Parkinson's," he said.