ARIZONA REPUBLIC: "Parkinson's disease is more bearable for the patient and his or her family if the family communicate with understanding, compassion and support, says Rasheda Ali, daughter of legendary boxer Muhammad Ali. 'We can make our loved ones lives a lot easier if they have that compassion and support,' she told a crowd Thursday at the Freedom Plaza Retirement Community in Peoria.

Ali, whose father is afflicted with the disease, was appearing to discuss the malady and to sign copies of her first book, I'll Hold Your Hand So You Won't Fall: A Child's Guide to Parkinson's Disease.Mary L. Anderson, 84, a resident of the retirement community who was looking through the book before the talk, said she liked it.

'It's a good book for children,' Anderson said. 'I've got five little ones coming here to get it.'

Ali said the book grew out of her effort to help her children understand what was happening with their grandfather - his slurred speech, his shaking, his occasional difficulty in joining in their fun. Once they knew what was going on, it was easier to find ways to support him, she said.

'It's not Dad's journey, it's our journey,' she said. 'I believe support will make it easier if you encourage it within your family.'

An upbeat attitude has helped her father deal with the malady, she said.

'Parkinson's is just like another opponent in the boxing ring,' she said.

Ali's visit to Peoria was part of a three-day trip to the Valley to speak at the 2006 Mo Udall Educational Symposia, an annual Parkinson's disease conference for patients, families and health care providers presented by the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center at Barrow Neurological Institute.

The symposia was Thursday at Glendale Civic Center and Friday at Mesa Centennial Hall.

A 56-year-old Phoenix man said he was getting the book for a neighbor his age recently diagnosed with Parkinson's.
'This is a way of saying we can talk about it,' said the man, who asked not to be identified to protect the privacy of his neighbor. "