Brian Grant is not someone who backs down from a challenge.
Known for a blue-collar, nose-to-the-grindstone work ethic, Grant created a successful 12-year career in the National Basketball Association by tenaciously matching up against Shaquille O’Neal, Dikembe Mutombo, Karl Malone and many others.
Off the court, Grant was a perennial favorite, especially with Trail Blazer fans in Portland, thanks to his genuinely warm personality and his regular service to the community.
Less than a year ago, Grant found himself facing a stunning new matchup: Parkinson’s disease. The man who was used to pushing hard against some of the most formidable big men in the game suddenly found himself facing off against an opponent that is difficult to understand and impossible to predict.
Grant is not a typical Parkinson’s patient. At 37, he is younger than the average person diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. He’s also in far greater physical condition than most people would ever be.
Although Brian has either lived in or visited just about every major city in this country, when it came time to choose a place for the most important healthcare decision of his life, he chose to begin his battle against Parkinson’s here in Portland, at the nationally-renowned Parkinson Center of Oregon at OHSU.
John Nutt, M.D., PCO Director and Brian’s physician explains, “I think that Brian is the sort of person who can be an excellent model as a patient. He understands the importance of teamwork. He’s used to rigorous discipline, receiving lots of input from his coaches, and then adapting his play to meet the needs of the situation. These attributes line up exactly with the sort of characteristics we talk about at the Parkinson Center when we say that it’s possible for someone to determine the course of their own disease.”
Still, when it comes to coping with the life-altering awareness of the onset of something like Parkinson’s, many of us have a tendency to see ourselves as alone, as if we are suddenly isolated from the rest of the world. Again, Brian’s experience makes for a great example. Even an extraordinarily talented player such as Brian is constantly reminded that the team doesn’t succeed on one talent alone. It takes everyone to do their part and to see how they fit into the bigger whole to create a winning effort.
The same is true with battling a disease like Parkinson’s. No one person can do it alone. In fact, PCO stresses a team approach. Ultimately, they believe that a patient can gain tremendous strength from the knowledge that the team is there to “take the ball” when help is needed. “They’re just as dedicated to making my life better as I am,” observes Grant.
Grant is just beginning his journey with Parkinson’s. Like most people at this point, he faces a host of uncertainties. The combination of his age, his discipline, his years of fierce competition and his great athletic conditioning have emboldened him to try every possible avenue, to see if his experience can help shed light on new treatments. “I told Dr. Nutt I want him to push me,” says Grant. “I’m not afraid to try new things. I want to be someone that other people can look to as an example.”
As he says this, there’s a fiery look that comes across his face. You can sense that Brian Grant is not backing down.
