Brent
Peterson was a standout in junior hockey, ironically for my very own
hometown Portland Winterhawks, in the Western Hockey League. He had a
12-year NHL career, where he developed into a very good penalty
killer and shut-down forward, skilled at winning face-offs. After his
playing career ended, he would return to Portland as an assistant
coach, eventually taking the head coaching position and leading the
Winterhawks to the pinnacle of junior hockey, the Memorial Cup, in
1998.
After
that season, he would successfully interview with the expansion NHL
Nashville Predators and become an assistant coach under Barry Trotz.
He would lend his expertise to help the incoming players develop
their skills
As
the months and years went by, Brent and his wife noticed that things
were getting more difficult in life, even to the point of falling
once or twice on the ice during practice.
When
he revealed to his fellow coaches, and then the team, that he had
Parkinson's Disease, you can just feel the anguish in each person as
they discover what Brent had been keeping a secret for more than a
couple years. While this annoucement would ultimately keep him from
seeking a head coaching position in the NHL, and also keep him off
the bench in Nashville, the Predators were more than pleased to
create a position for Brent, allowing him to stay on with the team.
At
one point, early after the diagnosis, Brent had a long discussion
with Michael J. Fox about Parkinson's and how it affected his life.
In turn, Brent would go on to counsel former NBA star, and,
ironically, Portland Trailblazer Brian Grant when he was diagnosed
with Parkinson's.
Ultimately,
he was considered and approved for what is known as DBS, Deep Brain
Stimulation. He describes this process in great detail, the ups and
downs. It's fascinating to read about the scientific progress that
has been made in Parkinson's research, and the development and
creation of the Peterson Foundation for Parkinson's and their
subsequent donations to Vanderbilt University's facilities.
It
is said that when one door closes, another opens. After reading this
book, it is clear that while the head coaching door has closed for
Brent, he is now firmly entrenched in the research for Parkinson's.
While there is no cure for Parkinson's, he is helping to lead the
fight to try and discover one.
This
book is a tale of ups and downs, and of inspiration. It is a tale of
one man's fight against an insidious disease, and his will and
tenacity against it. I would highly recommend it to anyone who either
has Parkinson's themselves, knows someone with it, or is a caregiver
to someone with it.
One
final note: I would like to personally thank Mr. Brent Peterson for
providing me contact information so that I could receive a
personalized copy of this book. Words cannot say enough to his
generosity, and I hope that he eventually receives this message.
Link
to Powell's City of Books:
http://www.powells.com/biblio/61-9781482652383-1
Link
to Barnes & Noble:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/my-toughest-faceoff-brent-peterson/1114850844?ean=9781482652383
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