Living and working with Parkinson’s: Stephen’s story

When Environmental Technician Stephen Watkins was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2021, it changed his life forever. Not only had he been battling with physical symptoms but his mental health also suffered as a consequence, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic had a knock-on effect on the time it took to receive a diagnosis and treatment. However, thanks to the support of his colleagues at RSK Group company Ecologia, he has been able to carry on working, and some of the team are even supporting his fundraising efforts by taking part in a charity skydive for Parkinson’s UK!

A life changing diagnosis

Stephen first noticed that something wasn’t quite right back in May 2020, when he was struck down with a severe headache followed by facial numbness. From that point onwards, his symptoms worsened and after a year of fighting for a diagnosis, he discovered he had young-onset Parkinson’s.

“I initially put my symptoms down to stress, especially when they subsided. However, several weeks after I first felt unwell, I noticed my left arm, wrist and elbow joints were sore. After a telephone consultation with my GP, I was told I had carpal tunnel syndrome but my symptoms continued to worsen. My hands were shaking violently, I was unsteady on my feet and driving became difficult. I took some time off but come the autumn, my health deteriorated rapidly and it was becoming obvious to people at work. Deep down, I had known for some time that something wasn’t right but I was trying to work through it in the hope it would resolve itself. It’s a mark of how close we are as a team that my colleagues recognised that I was struggling. I’ve always been perceived as being big and strong and I didn’t want to admit that there were certain things I simply couldn’t do to the standard I wanted. It did, however, force me to face up to the reality of the situation and seek medical intervention.

“Getting a diagnosis proved difficult and this had a real impact on my mental health. An old school friend was able to put me in touch with the neurology department at another hospital, and following an examination and the results of a scan, I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s. I’ll never forget the call. In a space of a few minutes, my life changed forever. I had convinced myself that somehow I would ride it out, but I now knew that I had to learn to accept and live with a degenerative, progressive, incurable neurological disease.”

Accepting and adapting to change

Since diagnosis, Stephen has been provided with a support team that consists of a neurologist, a Parkinson’s nurse, a neurophysiotherapist, a personal trainer, a bladder and bowel care team and a wellbeing counsellor. Stephen also has his own local Parkinson’s UK adviser, who is able to offer guidance on everything from financial planning to medication and support groups. His family and friends have been a huge source of strength for Stephen and with the help of RSK and the team at Ecologia, he has been able to carry on working.

Taking to the sky for Parkinson’s UK

Stephen’s openness about his condition has not only helped to educate his colleagues at Ecologia and the wider RSK Group but has also raised vital funds for Parkinson’s UK.

“As well as the benefits it has for my mental health, discussing my condition openly and honestly has meant that my colleagues and managers have developed a better understanding of Parkinson’s disease and are able to make informed decisions on what is safe and unsafe for me to do. It also led to some of the team taking part in a skydive for Parkinson’s UK, which formed part of my fundraising efforts for the charity. All of my care team are trained and part funded by Parkinson’s UK, so it was important for me to show my gratitude and to give something back.

“RSK and Ecologia made generous donations, as did the group’s Chief Executive Officer Alan Ryder and Managing Director of Ecologia, Giacomo Maini. Indeed, the level of support I’ve received from people across RSK has been immense and I am still receiving emails and messages from colleagues all over the world.” Director at Ecologia and Stephen’s line manager Mike Lenn was one of those who took part in the jump.

“I’ve worked with Stephen for several years and have been with him since the start of his difficult journey, right through from those initial symptoms and protracted tests to finding a way forward following his diagnosis. I also have a family member who, like Stephen, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s at the age of fifty, so I have some understanding of the challenges that he is facing.

“While the last few years have been difficult for Stephen, I have huge respect for how open he’s been about his condition and seeking support, even though it hasn’t been without its challenges. Without organisations such as Parkinson’s UK, I don’t think he would be in the place that he is in now, so when he suggested the skydive, I immediately wanted to be involved. It was a great way to not only support Stephen but to raise funds for a fantastic charity.”

“The directors of Ecologia arranged for me to be put on the flexi-furlough scheme, which enabled me to work from home as and when I could. The pandemic was in full swing, and I had no idea what the future had in store for me. I had already begun to write reports, health and safety documentation and cost proposals, so the project managers took the time to teach me how to improve these skills. This kept me involved and less isolated, which gave me a focus other than my health concerns. It also helped us as a family with regard to job and financial security, which was a major concern. RSK and Ecologia provided an occupational therapist to assess my health and needs. These appointments enabled me to discuss my condition with a professional who could feed back to my line manager and HR on how best to support me.

“I was able to successfully apply for an Access to Work grant, which has provided specialist equipment to enable me to work comfortably, both at home and in the office. A phased return was planned as my treatment began and I am now back working on sites and in the office on a risk-assessed basis. All of this has meant I can contribute to the business, keep focused on my future and continue to feel valued. As a result, I have been promoted from environmental technician to project and technical coordinator.”

Another member of the team who undertook the skydive was Environmental Scientist Elisha Salter.

“As someone who’s afraid of heights (and flying), taking part in the skydive was a real challenge. I was extremely nervous beforehand: I’d barely slept and couldn’t eat. Once we were on the plane, there wasn’t really much time to think about what we were about to do before we were out of the door and hurtling towards the ground. The minute of freefall was the longest minute of my life. I was too terrified to enjoy it but was much calmer once the parachute opened up.

“Looking back on it now, it was an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime experience. The views were unreal and I’m glad I can say I’ve done it. I was definitely much happier once both feet were back on the ground though! It was worth every second as we raised over £6000 for Parkinson’s UK.”

Not one to stop pushing forward, Stephen is looking at completing a professional accreditation to enhance his role at Ecologia, as well as continuing to raise money for Parkinson’s UK.

“I think going through this journey has sparked a passion in me for equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in the workplace and I’m very lucky that RSK takes this so seriously. I’m looking forward to getting more involved with the group’s employee networks and various EDI initiatives in the future.”