Mills River – On Tuesday, July 9, 2024, Mills River Presbyterian Church continued its bi-monthly Church Chat series with a presentation by Lucretia Pintacuda. Starting at 7:00pm, Pintacuda shared her story of challenge and accomplishment as she journeyed to climb the 19,341-foot summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro with Parkinson’s Disease.
Diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 2017, Pintacuda resides in the Asheville area and regularly hikes in the Western North Carolina mountains. She was selected to join the nine-member Michael J. Fox Foundation Team, and together they climbed to the summit of Africa’s Mt. Kilimanjaro in August 2023. Through their efforts, they raised $150,000 dedicated to Parkinson’s Disease research. Pintacuda’s message is one of inspiration and encouragement for all.
“Each of us were determined to make a difference in the search for a cure,” said Pintacuda in her online blog, Trekking Upward. “While our endeavor was to raise funds for research through the Michael J. Fox Foundation, there was much more we wanted to accomplish here. We wanted to raise awareness about Parkinson’s Disease by telling our stories. We wanted to inspire others, not just with Parkinson’s Disease, but who face any adversity, to take charge of their destiny and get involved.
“For me personally, I wanted to show that people with Parkinson’s Disease can live full, vibrant lives. Hey, I have Parkinson’s Disease but I just climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro thus demonstrating a metaphor for facing the challenges of life. In a few days I had a bond with eight people plus our guides and spanning a 50-year age difference that under normal circumstances might take years to form.”
Pintacuda shared her inspiring story at the Church Chat on July 9th. The one-hour chat took place in the Fellowship Hall of Mills River Presbyterian Church at 7:00 p.m. located at 10 Presbyterian Church Road in Mills River. People of all ages were invited to attend this free presentation.