Health
Military veteran embraces ‘new service’ of helping others after his Parkinson's diagnosis: ‘There is hope'
After 17 years of serving his country, Mark Kelm is now providing a different type of service: He’s advocating for others who, like him, are living with Parkinson’s disease (PD).
Kelm, who lives in a small Minnesota town with his wife of 23 years and three children, was just 38 years old when he was diagnosed with PD, a nervous system disorder that causes tremors, stiffness, loss of balance and other movement issues.
He credits his military background for preparing him for this latest challenge.
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“I believe the times that I had in the military really prepared me to handle living with a disease like Parkinson’s — knowing how to adapt and overcome in any given circumstance,” he told Fox News Digital in an interview.
“And I think those life skills that I learned in the Army are still quite useful today.”
After 17 years of serving his country, Mark Kelm is now providing a different type of service: He’s advocating for others who, like him, are living with Parkinson’s disease. He’s shown in the family picture at left, center, plus on the right. (Mark Kelm)
Surprise diagnosis
Raised by a police deputy and a nurse, Kelm said that for as long as he can remember, his life has been geared toward service.
Since enlisting in the Army Reserves in 1989, Kelp has served many years of active duty, spent time in the National Guard and held a role as a military chaplain.
In 2006, Kelm transitioned to a role as a chaplain for a federal law enforcement agency.
Two years later, at just 38, he was alarmed when he started experiencing involuntary twitching.
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“One muscle in my arm kept twitching, and it was causing my finger to twitch as well, and it just wouldn’t stop,” he recalled.
That began Kelm’s journey toward a diagnosis of young-onset Parkinson’s, which he received at the Mayo Clinic’s neurology department in Minnesota.
“That was a pretty dark day — knowing that it’s a progressive, degenerative neurological disorder that currently does not have a cure or any disease-modifying drugs,” he said.
Mark Kelm, pictured at right, enlisted in the Army Reserves in 1989 and served for many years in active duty. (Mark Kelm)
“As a chaplain, I performed funerals for people who had died from complications of Parkinson’s. So I was very familiar with some of the end-stage aspects of the disease.”
Kelm started taking Levodopa, a central nervous system drug that helps to manage Parkinson’s motor symptoms.
“I believe the times that I had in the military really prepared me to handle living with a disease like Parkinson’s.”
For eight years, he “stayed quiet” on the disease. In 2016, he said, “It was affecting me enough that I no longer could hide it.”
That’s when Kelm retired from full-time work — but his next chapter was just beginning.
New form of service
“After having my own little pity party after my diagnosis, I realized that wasn’t really helpful,” he said.
Kelm’s older daughter, who was in high school at the time, immediately started researching his disease. She soon became involved with fundraising and awareness efforts through the Parkinson’s Foundation.
Kelm, at right, is pictured on a mission trip to Uganda in 1998 while he was serving as a military chaplain. (Mark Kelm)
He was so impressed by his daughter’s efforts that he decided it was time to “get off the bench and get back into the game.”
Kelm has since “jumped in with both feet.”
He became the national chair of the Parkinson’s Foundation People with Parkinson’s Council, which ensures that the perspective of people living with PD is integrated into the foundation’s program development.
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In 2020, Kelm helped create an annual Parkinson’s Awareness Day at Target Field, in partnership with the Minnesota Twins.
He has also organized events to raise funds for the Minneapolis-based Struthers Parkinson’s Center, and volunteers on the U.S. Department of Defense’s medical research programs for Parkinson’s.
“My service is connected to Parkinson’s now,” Kelm told Fox News Digital.
Kelm, at far right, is pictured with his family during a visit to the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. (Mark Kelm)
“It has been an absolute blessing, because it’s allowed me to meet people from all around this great nation and even the world,” he went on.
“It’s been very positive for me, and I’m very hopeful that there’s a lot of research being done right now.”
Kelm’s advocacy could also indirectly benefit his health, according to Dr. James Beck, PhD, chief scientific officer for the Parkinson’s Foundation in New York City.
“My service is connected to Parkinson’s now.”
“The symptoms of PD – slowness of movement, difficulty in movement, etc. – can shrink a person’s world,” Beck told Fox News Digital.
“Mark’s effort to be involved and make a difference has helped him learn more about his own disease and to be a model advocate for his own care and health.”
What to know about early-onset Parkinson’s
People who are diagnosed with Parkinson’s before age 50 are considered early-onset patients.
Just 4% of people are diagnosed before the age of 50 — and Kelm was one.
Early-onset patients are three times as likely to have a genetic form of the disease, according to Beck.
In 2020, Kelm helped to create an annual Parkinson’s Awareness Day at Target Field, in partnership with the Minnesota Twins. (Mark Kelm)
“People with EOPD typically have a much slower rate of progression of their disease than those diagnosed at an older age,” Beck noted.
Younger patients, however, are more likely to notice stiffness earlier in the course of the disease.
“They will often experience dystonia (e.g., cramping of a hand or toes) as an early symptom,” Beck said.
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Patients with early-onset disease will also often experience levodopa-induced dyskinesia (involuntary movements of body parts) more frequently than those diagnosed after the age of 50, according to Beck.
Kelm said he does experience dyskinesia from time to time.
“At first, I thought, ‘I’m going to beat this,’” he said. “And after a few years, I started having some swallowing issues, which led to choking while eating.”
Kelm is pictured with his wife of 23 years, Beth Kelm. “She is the rock of the family. She does 99% of the work, and I go in for the 1% of glory.” (Mark Kelm)
“It was a wake-up call, and an awareness that I needed to do more to manage the disease.”
Coming to terms with his mortality was tough, Kelm acknowledged — but he found some comfort in knowing.
“I found peace in knowing that everything is going to be OK.”
“You don’t die from Parkinson’s — you die with Parkinson’s,” he said. “You die from complications of the disease, especially if you’re younger. And I found peace in knowing that everything is going to be OK.”
He added, “All of us are going to leave this earth one way or another. Some of us are given knowledge beforehand, while others are not.”
The military-Parkinson’s link
There are currently more than 110,000 veterans with Parkinson’s disease who receive care through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), according to the Parkinson’s Foundation.
In 2009, the Health and Medicine Division of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine released a report stating that there is “suggestive but limited evidence that exposure to Agent Orange and other herbicides used during the Vietnam War is associated with an increased chance of developing Parkinson’s disease.”
Second from right, Kelm is pictured delivering tailgate Communion while serving as a military chaplain. (Mark Kelm)
As the Parkinson’s Foundation stated, PD is a “presumptive condition for veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange and certain other toxins during military service.”
Due to this designation, veterans with Parkinson’s who were exposed to these toxins are automatically eligible to receive health care and disability benefits from the VA.
Beck of the Parkinson’s Foundation said it makes sense that there could be a link between PD and military service.
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“Although I have not seen a report of a direct increase in PD after military service, given the environmental exposures of many of our service members – head trauma, solvent exposure, etc. – it would not surprise me to see a higher prevalence of PD among veterans,” he told Fox News Digital.
Kelm noted that although the U.S. veteran population is getting smaller, the Parkinson’s rate within the community is “increasing significantly.”
Kelm and his family are pictured at the Minnesota Twins game on Parkinson’s Awareness Day at Target Field. (Mark Kelm)
He told Fox News Digital, “I suffered two TBIs (traumatic brain injuries) in service, which the VA believes likely contributed to my Parkinson’s, along with chemical exposure.”
The Parkinson’s Foundation partnered with the VA in 2020 in an effort to improve the health, well-being and quality of life for veterans with PD and their loved ones.
Breaking the stigma
Many military veterans with Parkinson’s find it difficult to bring themselves to ask for help after so many years of supporting others. This was the case for Kelm after his diagnosis.
“As a chaplain, my job was for people to come to me — not for me to seek them out.”
“I was in a pretty dark place at first,” he recalled. “As a chaplain, my job was for people to come to me — not for me to seek them out.”
A doctor at Struthers Parkinson’s Center in Minnesota recognized that Kelm needed help and physically walked him to a psychologist’s office.
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“I sat down and started talking, and it really was my awakening — an awareness of how much I needed to listen to another person and have them sort through things.”
The psychologist helped Kelm realize that he could continue to serve others while also allowing others to serve him.
Second from right, Kelm is pictured during a mission trip to Uganda, during which the group helped to build a school for women. (Mark Kelm)
Over time, people in the Parkinson’s community began calling on Kelm to help others with young-onset PD who had recently been diagnosed.
“I want to reach out to as many people as possible and get them the help they need to live the best quality of life that they can,” he said.
“I want to let them know that there is hope. It’s not all darkness — there is light. They still have a lot of life to live.”
Guided by hope and faith
During the harder days, Kelm finds encouragement and comfort in his faith.
“It’s the belief that no matter what happens, I don’t have to fear, because I know God is is with me,” he said.
“I have hope that as my body becomes weaker, God’s strength will become more and more evident.”
“I have hope that as my body becomes weaker, God’s strength will become more and more evident.”
Kelm said he is also optimistic that headway is being made toward improved Parkinson’s treatments and a future cure.
He is optimistic, said Kelm, that headway is being made toward improved Parkinson’s treatments and a future cure. “The needle’s moving in the right direction,” he said. (Mark Kelm)
He is encouraged by the increases in fundraising and research.
“I’m hoping that I get to live until I’m 80 and chase grandkids around. But for that to happen, we’re going to have to do the research, so that science can point us in the right direction.”
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For others who are newly diagnosed, Kelm urges them to seek help and build a network — which may include a counselor or therapist, religious leaders, doctors, physical therapists or a speech therapist.
“Allow others to help you,” he encouraged. “It’s hard at first. You might think you can fight the disease and manage the struggle on your own. But even Jesus had help carrying the cross.”
For veterans with Parkinson’s, Kelm urges them to seek support from the VA.
“I’m hoping that I get to live until I’m 80 and chase grandkids around,” said Kelm, who is pictured with his family. “But for that to happen, we’re going to have to do the research, so that science can point us in the right direction.” (Mark Kelm)
“Look around, ask and talk to others, and you will find dedicated people who will allow you to flourish as you live with your Parkinson’s disease.”
Beck echoed the importance of being open about a diagnosis to “help bring Parkinson’s out of the shadows … It can be a difficult first step, but is worth it in the end,” he said.
“Loved ones will often already know something is amiss. Sharing your PD diagnosis with them will often result in relief at knowing what is wrong, and the opening of tremendous support.”
People can call the Parkinson’s Foundation’s free helpline at 1-800-473-4636, or can visit parkinson.org or parkinson.org/veterans for information about where to get support.
Fox News Digital reached out to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs requesting additional comment.
For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health.
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Fatigue can stem from a variety of illnesses and life stressors, but when that exhaustion lasts for months — often following an infection — it may indicate a condition called chronic fatigue syndrome.
Approximately 3.3 million people in the United States currently have the syndrome, with about one in four people confined to their bed at some point during the illness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Despite its prevalence, experts say it’s a poorly understood condition that physicians frequently miss, with past research suggesting that only about 15% of those affected are diagnosed correctly.
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What is chronic fatigue syndrome?
Formally known as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a chronic disease that causes fatigue so severe that it impairs the ability to perform daily activities.
Approximately 3.3 million people in the United States currently have the chronic fatigue syndrome, with about one in four people confined to their bed at some point during the illness. (iStock)
The National Academy of Medicine defines the syndrome as having the following three symptoms that last at least six months.
- Severe fatigue that is 1) new and 2) decreases the ability to perform activities that you did normally prior to illness
- “Malaise” that worsens after physical or mental effort that previously was well-tolerated
- Unrestful sleep
People may also experience trouble with thinking and memory (often called “brain fog”) or lightheadedness when standing up.
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There are no tests to confirm chronic fatigue, so doctors diagnose it by talking to their patients, examining them and excluding other disorders, like hypothyroidism and depression, that often share the same symptoms.
Chronic fatigue is frequently missed by physicians, with past research suggesting that only about 15% of those affected are diagnosed correctly. (iStock)
“CFS, fibromyalgia and long COVID are all related conditions with different names,” Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum, author of “From Fatigued to Fantastic” — whose research focuses on chronic fatigue syndrome — told Fox News Digital. “What these illnesses have in common is that they are immune disorders, and immune disorders predominantly affect women.”
Many genes related to immune disorders are on the X chromosome, suggesting a genetic component, the doctor added.
Causes of chronic fatigue
Chronic fatigue syndrome may be triggered by infection or other physiologic stressors, but its causes and symptoms can vary widely from person to person, according to Dr. Julia Oh, a professor in dermatology, molecular genetics and microbiology, and integrative immunobiology at the Duke University School of Medicine in North Carolina.
Teitelbaum compared the condition to a “severe energy crisis” in the body. When energy drops low enough, the “control center” in the brain — the hypothalamus, which regulates sleep, hormones, blood pressure and pulse — may not work as well.
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Although hypothalamic dysfunction can trigger dozens of other symptoms, the hallmark signs are insomnia (despite exhaustion), brain fog and widespread pain, the doctor said.
Anything that causes severe energy depletion can trigger the syndrome, including chronic life stressors, nutritional deficiencies, thyroid and stress hormone imbalances, and sleep problems.
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These triggers are usually associated with a gradual onset of CFS, but sudden onset can be caused by certain infections, with two classic ones being COVID and mononucleosis, past research has shown.
Head and neck trauma and sudden hormonal shifts after pregnancy can also trigger chronic fatigue, Teitelbaum warned.
Anything that causes severe energy depletion can trigger the syndrome, including chronic life stressors, nutritional deficiencies, thyroid and stress hormone imbalances, and sleep problems, according to one doctor. (iStock)
There aren’t currently any blood tests to uniformly diagnose the syndrome, but Dr. Oh said she is hopeful that will change in the future.
Her research team developed an experimental artificial intelligence-based tool, BioMapAI, that has been shown to identify the condition with high accuracy by analyzing stool, blood and other common lab tests, according to early research published in July in the journal Nature Medicine.
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“Instead of finding one smoking gun for the disease, our AI model uncovered a distinct biological fingerprint that was dysregulated in the patients, which spanned changes in gut bacteria, hyperactive immune cells and disrupted metabolism,” Oh told Fox News Digital.
Treatments and therapies
Given how differently chronic fatigue syndrome can affect people, there is no universally effective therapy, according to Oh.
The CDC recommends that patients with CFS work with their doctors to create a management plan based on the symptoms that most affect quality of life.
There are no tests to confirm chronic fatigue, so doctors diagnose it by evaluating symptoms and excluding other disorders.
Treatments generally include a combination of lifestyle changes, therapies and medications. Patients and their physicians should weigh the potential benefits and risks of any approach.
There are some alternative therapies that have shown to be effective for some. Teitelbaum developed a protocol called SHINE, which focuses on sleep, hormones and hypotension, infections, nutrition and exercise. Some research has shown that this approach can help to improve the quality of life for people with CFS and fibromyalgia.
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Others may find alternative treatments, like physiotherapy (physical therapy) to be helpful.
Those who experience persistent fatigue that hinders their ability to participate in regular activities or impacts their quality of life should speak with a doctor.
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Long before the Black Death killed millions across Europe in the Middle Ages, an earlier, more elusive version of the plague spread across much of Eurasia.
For years, scientists were unsure how the ancient disease managed to spread so widely during the Bronze Age, which lasted from roughly 3300 to 1200 B.C., and stick around for nearly 2,000 years, especially since it wasn’t spread by fleas like later plagues. Now, researchers say a surprising clue may help explain it, a domesticated sheep that lived more than 4,000 years ago.
Researchers found DNA from the plague bacterium Yersinia pestis in the tooth of a Bronze Age sheep discovered in what is now southern Russia, according to a study recently published in the journal Cell. It is the first known evidence that the ancient plague infected animals, not just people, and offers a missing clue about how the disease spread.
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“It was alarm bells for my team,” study co-author Taylor Hermes, a University of Arkansas archaeologist who studies ancient livestock and disease spread, said in a statement. “This was the first time we had recovered the genome from Yersinia pestis in a non-human sample.”
A domesticated sheep, likely similar to this one, lived alongside humans during the Bronze Age. (iStock)
And it was a lucky discovery, according to the researchers.
“When we test livestock DNA in ancient samples, we get a complex genetic soup of contamination,” Hermes said. “This is a large barrier … but it also gives us an opportunity to look for pathogens that infected herds and their handlers.”
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The highly technical and time-consuming work requires researchers to separate tiny, damaged fragments of ancient DNA from contamination left by soil, microbes and even modern humans. The DNA they recover from ancient animals is often broken into tiny pieces sometimes just 50 “letters” long, compared to a full human DNA strand, which contains more than 3 billion of those letters.
Animal remains are especially tough to study because they are often poorly preserved compared to human remains that were carefully buried, the researchers noted.
The finding sheds light on how the plague likely spread through close contact between people, livestock and wild animals as Bronze Age societies began keeping larger herds and traveling farther with horses. The Bronze Age saw more widespread use of bronze tools, large-scale animal herding and increased travel, conditions that may have made it easier for diseases to move between animals and humans.
When the plague returned in the Middle Ages during the 1300s, known as the Black Death, it killed an estimated one-third of Europe’s population.
The discovery was made at Arkaim, a fortified Bronze Age settlement in the Southern Ural Mountains of present-day Russia near the Kazakhstan border. (iStock)
“It had to be more than people moving,” Hermes said. “Our plague sheep gave us a breakthrough. We now see it as a dynamic between people, livestock and some still unidentified ‘natural reservoir’ for it.”
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Researchers believe sheep likely picked up the bacteria from another animal, like rodents or migratory birds, that carried it without getting sick and then passed it to humans. They say the findings highlight how many deadly diseases begin in animals and jump to humans, a risk that continues today as people move into new environments and interact more closely with wildlife and livestock.
“It’s important to have a greater respect for the forces of nature,” Hermes said.
The study is based on a single ancient sheep genome, which limits how much scientists can conclude, they noted, and more samples are needed to fully understand the spread.
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The researchers plan to study more ancient human and animal remains from the region to determine how widespread the plague was and which species may have played a role in spreading it.
Researchers (not pictured) found plague-causing Yersinia pestis DNA in the remains of a Bronze Age sheep. (iStock)
They also hope to identify the wild animal that originally carried the bacteria and better understand how human movement and livestock herding helped the disease travel across vast distances, insights that could help them better anticipate how animal-borne diseases continue to emerge.
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The research was led by scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, with senior authors Felix M. Key of the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology and Christina Warinner of Harvard University and the Max Planck Institute for Geoanthropology.
The research was supported by the Max Planck Society, which has also funded follow-up work in the region.
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