5 minute read
Sierra Leone and beyond
Alumni
Guy Deacon
In November 2019, alumnus Guy Deacon (Anthropology, University College, 198184) was waved off from his hometown in Dorset destined for Sierra Leone in a camper van. His motivation to make the journey was to prove that Parkinson’s disease does not need to stop you from living a full and active life.
Leaving the UK 10 November 2019 This is because Guy has been living with Parkinson’s for the last ten years. His journey started when he arrived at Durham in 1981. As a fresher, he joined the Durham University Exploration Society and, soon after his arrival, he was already planning the first of three sponsored expeditions to Africa! Those adventures at university led to a dream that, once his army career was complete, Guy would travel the length of Africa. The dream became a reality late in 2019. Since being a young man, Guy had always pursued his passion to travel extensively, so was well aware of many of the challenges of the journey ahead. But the real unknown challenge was not the journey, the security or even the weather - all of which could potentially make the trip more difficult - but the effect of his Parkinson’s disease – a challenge which could actually make things impossible. The initial journey to Sierra Leone went largely to plan. Guy took the ferry from Newhaven, travelled south through France, Andorra, Spain and Portugal, arrived in North Africa in December, and travelled through Northwest Africa, before eventually arriving in Sierra Leone in March 2020. Guy was just considering how to manage the tricky stretch from Sierra Leone round to the equator when COVID-19 reared its head and borders started to shut throughout the continent. Guy was evacuated by the British Embassy and forced to leave his vehicle in the care of somebody else in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone. It was nearly two years before he could resume his expedition, needless to say, with more determination than ever. Whilst back in England, Guy found that every cloud really did have a silver lining and he met a young film producer who will now be helping him to make a documentary of his epic journey.
Together, they will highlight the harsh reality of living with Parkinson’s and viewers will clearly experience Guy enduring the daily difficulties of travelling, much magnified by the effects of the disease. The documentary will also explore the challenges for those in Africa suffering with Parkinson’s. Even in the UK, Parkinson’s disease is not well understood and there is currently no identifiable cause or any cure. Symptomatic of the disease are uncontrolled movements such as shaking and trembling. As a result, in many parts of Africa, Parkinson’s is often believed to be caused by witchcraft and sufferers are deemed to be cursed. On his journey, Guy will visit sufferers of Parkinson’s and those who care for them,
Guy, you are an inspiration - we wish you well. Good luck!
Andorra 24 November 2019
both domestically and professionally. He plans to highlight how many not only live with the condition but are also ostracised within their own communities. They have no access to neurologists, nor do they receive the necessary drugs because they are expensive. Guy is, however, keen to shine a light on the incredible work being done by dedicated health professionals in hard-to-reach places despite limited resources. With the backing of the charity “Parkinson’s Africa”, Guy’s route has been planned to visit such communities and he will be drawing attention to the help that is available and explaining how to access it. By making the documentary, he aims to provide a platform for those concerned to speak directly about their experiences and about the problems they face every day. He hopes to highlight the often- overlooked realities of Parkinson’s in Africa. In early 2022, Guy finally resumed his trip and travelled to Freetown, Sierra Leone, to continue on to his destination in South Africa. The western African countries Guy will be travelling through are little known to people in the UK. He is particularly looking forward to going to Benin, Togo and Gabon and relishes the chance to drive through Angola, which for many people is chiefly associated with a brutal civil war. He will pass through some vast and often chaotic cities, but most of the journey will be along the beautiful Atlantic coast. Here there will be everything from idyllic beaches fringed with coconut trees, to primary jungle where the elephants roam on the beaches. Just some of the highlights for Guy will be the coast of Namibia, where the beach rises to become the grand dunes of the Kalahari, and the southern coast of South Africa where penguins surf in the waves. Africa is a continent of contrasts, and he will be seeing it at its best. Whilst on his journey, he will be recording each day on the Polar Steps platform and each week he will publish a podcast summarising the challenges, joys and main events of the previous week. Because he is spending most of the time travelling alone, Guy is very keen to have as many followers and supporters back in the UK as possible, as they provide him with company, great encouragement and support when he needs it. To follow his journey, just follow the links below. Parkinson’s disease is the fastest growing neurological disease in the world, yet still there is no cure. Many families in the UK have been touched by the disease and the outward characteristics are well known. Fewer know what it is really like to have Parkinson’s. Throughout the film, Guy will not shy away from revealing his innermost feelings and revealing to us what it is really like to have the condition. The trip and the documentary are to encourage those living with the disease to follow their dreams, and to raise awareness of the challenges faced by sufferers throughout the world.
Morocco 19 January 2020
Guinea 26 February 2020
