Sometimes life intervenes even when you are a country music star with all kinds of plans. That is sort of what happened to Kimberly Schlapman of Little Big Town. The singer recently pulled up stakes in Nashville and settled in South Carolina, per People. But the reason for her move was not just a change of scenery. Schlapman wanted to be near her 77-year-old mom, Barbara, who has Parkinson's disease. She has lived with the condition for two decades. However, her symptoms are getting progressively more serious.
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Per the outlet, Schlapman said, "She's had horrific falls. She has broken ribs, ankles, her wrist, shoulder, elbow, so many things. That's one of her greatest struggles, her balance, it's really, really bad." It sounds like for the singer, 55, being geographically near her mother was imperative. Schlapman, her husband, and their two daughters made the switch of hometowns for Barbara's sake.
According to Schlapman, "Not only did I want to get close to family just because I love them so much, now I'm needed. I need to be here to help my siblings, and my daddy, care for my mama."
The Initial Signs of Her Mother's Illness Were Fairly Minor
Twenty years ago, Schlapman's first husband died at the age of 41 from a heart attack. The tragedy shocked those close to him. At the time, Barbara developed a noticeable tremor in her hand. It was considered by family members to be a reaction to the trauma of Schlapman's husband's death.
Schlapman explained, "My sister saw it, my brother saw it, but we just thought it was part of the grief. I had lost the love of my life, and she [Barbara] was in great grief just trying to take care of me as best she could. So we didn't really think much of it, because it was at a time when we were all a total mess."
Finally, a diagnosis was made - Barbara had Parkinson's. The news was stunning. Schlapman shared, "It flabbergasted all of us. No one in our family has ever had Parkinson's, that we know of, so when she got that diagnosis, we were blown away — and very uneducated about what that means."
The Whole Family Is Working Together To Help Barbara
Assisting Barbara is a family affair. Schlapman said, "It's definitely a big family thing. Everybody's still in our little hometown where we grew up. Nobody left but me, and now I'm back. My sister is kind of our quarterback. She works the calendar and has everybody fills up every single spot. My brother is an incredible cook, he's always taking food over there and staying with them. We have grandkids involved, sometimes they spend the night. We're all in."
The situation that their mom is facing has deepened the bond between all of them. Schlapman summarized it like this. "It has struck me so profoundly that that is one thing Parkinson's has given us as a family: It has given us deeper hearts."
Schlapman is also committed to doing what she can to assist other families and patients who are being affected by Parkinson's. She has teamed up with the pharmaceutical company AbbVie on their initiative called Changing the Tune of Parkinson's Disease.
