ABOUT US | Laredo Parkinsons Gr

Welcome

Welcome to YOUR new community of acceptance and understanding. Celebrate with us the creation of the Laredo Parkinson’s Support Group – a place for engagement through education, communication, and socialization for a diverse group of people with a common interest, Parkinson's.

We bring people together to advocate and support each other in the fight to someday overcome Parkinson's. Through this effort we have developed partnerships with entities like Laredo Rehabilitation Hospital, International Bank of Commerce, the Neurology Department of the San Antonio UT Health Science Center, Laredo Morning Times and KGNS News Station,

to name a few.

After only three years of existence we keep on celebrating as we announce the projected visits to Laredo by the University of Texas Health Science Center Movement Disorder specialists who will assess and treat local Parkinson's patients. The LPSG will continue to present education and support programs, health and wellness activities, and conduct annual Conferences/ Symposiums to all interested in learning more about Parkinson's.

With a committed LPSG board and members as well as with our partners, I truly believe that individuals with Parkinson’s in Laredo will be able to improve their quality of life.

Respectfully,

Tina Trevino

President ~ Laredo Parkinson’s Support Group

History

In 2020 Dr. Alfredo Trevino and his wife, Tina, were looking forward to retirement after selling their Ophthalmology Clinic. But in 2021, the Trevinos learned that Al had Parkinson's. Instead of feeling sorry for himself, he suggested to his community-minded partner that they create a Parkinson’s support group. He knew that she had begun researching all she could about the disease and what she could do to help her loving husband when they heard the diagnosis.

But they soon learned that there was no one in Laredo to reach out to for guidance. Shortly after, though, a few days before celebrating their 56th anniversary, he passed away on December 25, 2022.

Inspired by her late husband, Tina embarked on the creation of a unique support system ----- the Laredo Parkinson’s Support Group. She teamed up with Joseph Troudt, Director of Therapy Operations at Laredo Specialty Hospital, to combine her determination and enthusiasm with his medical knowledge and willingness. Together, they set out to provide patients with Parkinson’s a group-based support system, fostering social connections and a shared identity.

On January 25, 2023, a meeting was held at the Trevino home with individuals from different segments of the community. Those present were Reverand Paul Frey, Rotarians Jim and Cathey Moore, PD patients BA Puig, Amadita “Baby” Guerra, Candy Hein, and caretakers Bertha Puig and Margie Lozano, as well as the spearheads Tina and Joe. It was decided that a program was necessary and important for Laredo.

The committee decided to schedule monthly meetings in one of the rooms offered by the Laredo Rehabilitation Hospital and would get the word out to Parkinson’s disease patients through the media and word of mouth to the medical community to encourage attendance. In the first year, 12 – 15 patients and caretakers participated in the activities and presentations. A board of directors was elected, and Cruz and Associates provided assistance with the non-profit status of a public charity, which was approved in October 2024.

The socialization and learning led the members to their greatest sense of community. As one member said, “This is a place where I’m not guarded by my movements, and no one sees me as being different. Actually, we are all different in different ways as well as the same. We all have Parkinson’s.”