Parenting with Parkinson’s in east Melbourne: Pictures tell the story of younger diagnosis
About 20 percent of Australians with the neurological disorder learn they have the disease before age 50.
Matthew Sims
March 19, 2026
Wendy* from Melbourne’s eastern suburbs is raising children while living with perimenopause and Parkinson’s disease. She is 50 years old.
🗓️ The challenge: She said her day-to-day routine is akin to playing a game of Whac-A-Mole.
🗣️“You get one thing under control and then another thing pops up and if you don't keep whacking them, you lose,” Wendy said.
📸 Simple snapshots: Wendy is one of the participants in a new photographic exhibition now open at the Box Hill Community Arts Centre, which aims to shine more light on Young-Onset Parkinson’s Disease (YOPD) and its hidden physical and mental health effects.
Photos on display include Wendy’s discoloured toe after she fell over, a pill organiser from eastern Melbourne resident Christine* and a photo of George* from Geelong’s haul during a fishing trip.
❓What is Parkinson’s? Parkinson's disease is a neurological condition that affects movement and mood and worsens over time. The majority of people with the disease are diagnosed around age 65.
However, about two in every 10 people diagnosed with the disease in Australia have seen symptoms develop before they turned 50, with some in their 20s.
🖼️ The big picture: Monash University PhD student Lewis Johnstone said he asked people with the disease to take photos of their everyday life. He said his study quickly evolved from an “eclectic” collection of photos into a way for people to share things they were once ashamed to reveal.
Researcher Lewis Johnstone.
🗣️ “Often people with a chronic illness or a disability are viewed as heroes or tragic figures and people kind of pity them,” Johnstone told the Eastern Melburnian. “It becomes part of their life, but it's not who they are – they don't want it to define them.”
Parenting pains: Fellow east Melbourne resident Eric* was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease at 37. He described the fatigue caused by working, raising his son and feeding himself as “brutal”.
🗣️ “It's probably the most disabling factor,” Eric said.
⏭️ What’s next? Johnstone hopes to develop the project into an online community where people from across the country could upload their own photos and stories.
Living With Young-Onset Parkinson’s is at the Box Hill Community Arts Centre on weekdays from 9am to 5pm until Monday March 30.
* Names changed for privacy.