MURRAY CHARTERS
RECIPIENT OF OUTSTANDING SERVICE TO THE PARKINSON'S COMMUNITY AWARD
By Peggy Willocks
This was Murray Charter's first attendance to PAN's annual forum, but I have a strong feeling it won't be his last. And this was the first award of it's kind . . . and now it has "Murray Charters" written all over it.
Having only met Murray through cyberspace, this soft-spoken Canadian was no stranger to the PD community. Murray has a website he developed with the original help of a friend, Janet Paterson. Like Murray, Janet's website, "a new voice," has supplied unique and vital information for PWP's. But Murray didn't quit there.
Every day in the wee hours of morning or late at night (when I am often awake), a collection of no less than five articles come to my email inbox, all with Murray's name on the "From" line. I don't know how he does it, but this one-of-a-kind group of articles always seem to be concerning the hottest topics on Parkinson's or are the answer to the discussion I had last night with another friend. (Sometimes I think he's tapping into everyone's email or chat conversations! haha).
Murray became more than just a name on the "From" line of an email when he joined the Pipeline Project. Meeting as a group in one of the online "voice" conference rooms, I heard that voice that unmistakably belonged to both a gentleman and genius. Murray could locate updates on clinical trial info like no other! Murray also participates in several Parkinson's forums and listserves, so I knew about his battle with a malignant growth on his lung. I also knew that he got a personal call from Michael J. Fox one day and chatted about growing up in the same area. Then the day came that we all were awaiting . . . a chance to meet "the" Murray Charters face-to-face at the PAN Forum scheduled for late March, 2004.
As people gathered for the 2004 PAN Forum in the nation's capitol, it wasn't difficult to spot Murray. I had visited his website often, and there I had come upon a photo of him holding one of his grandbabies (something I could readily relate to). Murray and his wife, Brenda, were just as I had imagined. Murray appeared to be the strong, silent type who doesn't say anything until he has something worthy to say. He reminds me of the E.F.Hutton commercial - "When E.F. Hutton speaks . . . everybody listens!" Brenda, on the other hand, was the outgoing, super friendly type. I instantly fell in love with her.
As mentioned before, this was Murray's first ever PAN Forum, but anyone observing him would swear he had been coming for years. I asked Murray to describe his reaction to the forum, and it went like this:
" . . . in a few words... awesome... educating... inspiring...motivating... networking... participating... sharing..." The forum is worthy because it provides a "powerful unified voice in advocacy...a focal point for grassroots efforts...a strong educational resource..." and the help he will take back home is, "I'm better informed, I may be more able to advocate here in BC, here in Canada."
Well, I have news for Murray . . . they just don't get any better! Congratulations to you, Murray, for not being the first ever recipient of the Outstanding Service to the Parkinson's Community Award. And remember the opening comment that this award "had Murray Charters written all over it?" You don't know how true that statement is - the award will now appropriately be referred to as "The Murray Charters Award." I can't think of a more deserving person.