A new episode of 2 Parkies in a Pod uncovers an extraordinary family secret.
Dave Clark and Kuhan Pushparatnam speak to Lucy, not her real name, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in her early forties and later discovered she carries the rare LRRK2 genetic mutation found in just one per cent of white British people.
Her condition prompted her to take a DNA test in search of answers, only for her mother to reveal that she was conceived using donor sperm, a revelation that reshaped Lucy’s understanding of both her health and her heritage.
The DNA results identified her biological father, whom she contacted through a mediator, and she learned he had also recently been diagnosed with Parkinson’s.
His late father had lived with the condition too, creating a clear family pattern that Lucy had never known existed.
With that knowledge, she is now committed to alerting others conceived from the same donor that they may also carry the LRRK2 mutation and could benefit from early awareness and monitoring.
This powerful interview forms part of 2 Parkies in a Pod, the podcast created to inspire, inform and unite the Parkinson’s community through honest conversations, expert perspectives and lived experience.
The series has built a dedicated global audience since launch, reaching listeners in more than one hundred and thirty-five countries and amassing over two hundred and seventy thousand plays across platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, YouTube and Parkinson’s ON.
Hosted by former Sky Sports presenter Dave Clark and telecoms expert Kuhan Pushparatnam, the pair share more than twenty-seven years of lived experience with Parkinson’s, bringing empathy, insight and a warm sense of humour to each episode.
They met when Kuhan first contacted Dave on social media, long before they chose to speak publicly about their diagnoses, which arrived after years of uncertainty.
Dave has since helped raise nearly half a million pounds for Parkinson’s causes, while Kuhan’s Parkinson’s ON app provides tools for symptom tracking, medication management and self-help content for those living with the condition.
New episodes of 2 Parkies in a Pod are available now on all major podcast platforms.
