A new raw, emotional, moving plea on TikTok created by a Bedford Resident asking people to sign a petition named ‘The Parky Charter’ has gone viral.
Before the video was posted on the social media platform, the Parky Charter petition had 57 thousand signatures. The video has now helped the petition gain nearly 30,000 new signatures, with over 240,000 views on TikTok.
It has also received 25,000 likes, 4,000 comments, and over 4,000 shares, making it a viral sensation.
The petition needs 100,000 signatures by 10 September so that it can then be debated in parliament. It’s hoped that this will then create a massive step forward in the research, care and support for Parkinson’s and those who have it.
The video was created by Liz Houghton, who has had Parkinson’s for 11 years, and writes poetry about her life. She has self-published three poetry anthologies and performs her poems on TikTok, Facebook and at community groups across the county.
In 2021 she also took part in the table tennis World Championships for people with Parkinson’s Disease (PD).
All the money she raises through her poems is given to Parkinson’s UK.
Read: Bedford player to represent UK in Parkinson’s World Table Tennis Championships
She goes into detail on how “it has taken months to get just over halfway”, adding “In another life I could have been your mum or your sister or your great Auntie Lizzie”, showing us all that Parkinson’s can affect anybody, even those you could never imagine getting it.
The Parky Charter, which is run by the ‘Movers and Shakers’ podcast (a podcast all about Parkinson’s, run by people who have Parkinson’s), started the petition. According to their website, it has five key goals:
- Speedy specialists
- Instant information
- Parkinson’s passport
- Comprehensive care
- Quest for a cure
At the time of writing, the petition has 85,495 signatures. With just over nine weeks until the 10 September deadline, the petition requires approximately 1,723 signatures per week.
To read more about the petition and add your name, head to Gov.UK’s petition pages.
You can see Liz Houghton’s video on TikTok.
Published as part of our work experience partnership with Sharnbrook Academy
