This story was excerpted from Adam McCalvy’s Brewers Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
MILWAUKEE — Jacob Misiorowski’s eyes still well with tears when he talks about the way his father, Tom, has bravely battled the effects of Parkinson’s disease since Jacob was young. Tom Misiorowski has had a pacemaker installed along with neurological devices in his head. They have helped, but he had to retire at a young age from his job as an electrician, a job he loved and was good at, Jacob says. That’s only one of the things this “terrible disease” has taken away.
But the son is determined to find silver linings wherever they emerge — especially now that he has the platform that comes with being one of the most exciting rookies in baseball and arguably the Brewers’ best pitching prospect ever.
“I mean, I think it made him more available to me growing up,” Misiorowski said. “He kind of retired from his work and stuck around with me. It was awesome to have him around, but it definitely affected him physically. It’s not an easy disease. It’s difficult, and it changes people in various ways.”
As difficult as it is to talk about, Misiorowski is intent on using his voice for Parkinson’s awareness, which is why he agreed to partner with the Wisconsin Parkinson Association to help with fundraising and outreach.
The tulip has become Miz’s signature symbol. When the Brewers handed out T-shirts with his likeness as part of a promotion this month, there was a tulip on the shoulder.
“My dad is more than thrilled that I’m supporting this,” he said. “He’s been dealing with this for a lot of his life, so it’s good to support it in any way I can.”
Where the partnership with the independent Wisconsin Parkinson Association goes from here is a work in progress, but Misiorowski is less focused on the details and more on the big picture of doing something to raise awareness for the estimated 1.1 million Americans living with Parkinson’s in the U.S., and especially for the 20,000 in Wisconsin.
“How we learned about his story initially was the tulip on the cleats,” said Kelly Cieslak, the WPA’s executive director. “We said, ‘Hey, let’s reach out. He’s on the hometown team. How do we partner?’ We knew it was kind of a long shot because people are probably banging down the door to get to this guy.”
You can imagine the celebration when Misiorowski said yes. Finding those connections is especially important to the WPA, which is not affiliated with any national Parkinson’s charities and relies on local donors to support their statewide mission of providing services and advice to families affected by the disease.
Like Misiorowski, this effort is personal to Cieslak, whose grandmother has Parkinson’s disease. Based in Brookfield, Wis., not far from American Family Field, the WPA has a budget of about $1 million and a staff of two full-time employees and three part-time staffers who cover all 72 counties in Wisconsin.
“I don’t want to speak for Jacob, but I take calls personally and what I hear is, ‘I want to help. I don’t even know where to start. I don’t know what to do,’” Cieslak said. “Sometimes people don’t want to ask for help. Sometimes people don’t want to admit something is wrong. So it’s all different things that happen, right?
“Where WPA comes in, we can sometimes be that third party to talk with them, make sure they are connected with the right medical professional. It’s almost like that intake call, gauging where people are at with their situation and meeting them where they are.”
Depending on the circumstances, the WPA can connect families to support groups or exercise classes tailored to Parkinson’s care, or help provide in-home services or mental health resources. WPA has hosted adaptive rock climbing events and boxing, which have shown great promise in slowing the progression of disease. The organization also distributes walking poles to keep people moving.
“Movement is one of the only things to slow the progression of Parkinson’s and it’s so important,” Cieslak said.
Fans who are interested in supporting the association on Misiorowski’s behalf can visit wiparkinson.org for information.
Just as important for the loved ones of those affected: awareness. That’s where Misiorowski’s involvement is so helpful. Cieslak is already brainstorming ideas for Parkinson’s Awareness Month next April.
It’s the least he can do, Misiorowski said, to support his dad.
“It’s been a positive road so far,” Jacob said. “But you know, it’s also a slippery road and it changes really quick. It’s one of those things that you can’t just fall down the road of the ‘bad.’ It’s already bad enough, let’s make it better.”
