We recently celebrated Parkinson’s Disease Awareness Month and all that is being done to help those living with the disease. One man who is living life to the fullest with Parkinson’s is Felix Pompa.
Felix is a 71 year old Austin musician who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 2021. As a lifelong guitar-player, he knew something was wrong when he began to feel tremors and was unsteady when strumming his instrument.
“I’ve been playing guitar all my life,” Felix says. “Played in big bands, small bands, and I’ve played with a lot of people.”
Felix is now giving the gift of music as a volunteer with Blue Water Hospice. He enjoys offering comfort and a little joy through the music he plays.
“The most rewarding thing that I have done is volunteered my music and time to the people that need it most,” he shares. Felix’s specialty is playing tunes from the sixties and seventies.
“This was an opportunity for Felix to help people at the end of their life and support them,” explains Blue Water Homecare and Hospice founder and COO, Jennifer Prescott, RN, MSN, CDP.
Playing the guitar with Parkinson’s isn’t easy for Felix, but it also helps delay the progression of this debilitating disease while spreading joy through the music he creates.
“He’s exercising his fingers, mind and body,” Jennifer says. “He also feels really engaged with the community.”
Felix also performs at senior centers around Austin and is active in the Capital Area Parkinson’s Society.
We are extremely grateful to Felix for his contributions to our Blue Water families and find inspiration in how he lives life despite his Parkinson’s challenges. He doesn’t let the disease hold him back and is doing what he loves, something that we can all strive to emulate.
More on Felix’s unique dedication as a hospice volunteer was recently featured in a story for KXAN.
Blue Water Homecare Parkinson’s Program
Parkinson’s Disease affects an estimated one million people in the United States and is characterized by unpredictable shaking, tremors, and a compromised sense of balance and mobility.
Blue Water Homecare helps those with Parkinson’s continue to live a high quality of life through our dedicated Parkinson’s Program designed to support those affected by the disease and their families or caregivers.
In addition to Parkinson’s care and Hospice and Bereavement Services. Blue Water Homecare offers a variety of services including general At Home Care and Dementia Care.
Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you or to get more information on how you can become a hospice volunteer. And don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram.