Ian Parker Bipolar Research Fund - Juggle4Bipolar' Challenge

MY STORY
Carol Smit tragically lost her beautiful and very talented brother Ian Parker when he lost his battle of very severe bipolar disorder mood swings to suicide 10th August 2005. Ian was only sibling, 'soul mate' and best friend. We loved to walk together, talk together, as artists to paint together and mutually appreciated all in nature and life with the same effervescent spirit. We both were very much ‘a people’s people’ sharing the same warmth, caring and desire to help make this world a kinder and more tolerant world in the realm of mental health issues.

Carol says:

‘Ian's story is my quest to turn this tragedy into a 'positive’ and ‘meaningful’ journey to give ‘purpose’ for his much suffering.

I have devoted most of my spare time since Ian’s loss as a Volunteer, Founder, Manager and Event Organiser of the Ian Parker Bipolar Research Fund. I am fully dedicated to fundraising for bipolar research in memory of Ian. I have raised over 20K in my local area of Colac Otway Shire Victoria.

Ian was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at the age of 34 years. Symptoms were quite apparent to him and those nearest and dearest to him much earlier, but Ian had struggled with accepting a talented PHD Dux Student with Honours of the Science subjects Quantum Physics and Chemistry from La Trobe University in the mid 1970’s could be facing the same difficult struggle he had witnessed of his own Dad since our early childhood.

With a mission of finding the cause and eventual cure for Bipolar Disorder, I founded Australia’s inaugural Bipolar Research Fund. I have since accepted the wonderful and generous offer to partner with Australian Rotary Health to establish Australia’s first independently funded PhD Scholarship of Bipolar Research, the ‘Australian Rotary Health/Ian Parker Bipolar Fund PhD Scholarship’.

April 28th 2013 proved a very proud moment and truly humbling experience for me as I was honoured with the very moving and meaningful privilege of awarding the inaugural PhD Scholarship for Bipolar Research to Emma Gliddon and PhD Student at the School of Medicine, Deakin University Geelong. This Award Night was hosted by the Colac Otway Sire Mayor and Councillors and the Rotary Club of Colac West of which I am honoured to be a member.

When I received the news of acceptance for this award to be delivered to Emma I cried so much.

I was suddenly consumed with such overwhelming emotions brimming and over-flowing with a sense of incredible relief, gratitude and delight that someone of such incredible quality and calibre such as Emma had finally been found to embrace the responsibility of her bipolar research career.
Emma has proven her passion and desire to dedicate and devote her career towards completing her 3 years of PhD studies in 2016 to finally embark on a career with the inaugural ‘Doctorate’ for Bipolar Research in Australia.

Emma has examined the role of an online discussion board known as ‘Mood Swings’ to be used as a self-help program for people with Bipolar Disorder.

“Online psychotherapy programs such as ‘Mood Swings’ allows greater access to mental health care for those who may otherwise face financial and geographical barriers, such as those in rural and regional areas, those with mobility problems, parents with small children, and low income earners.” says Emma. To view Emma’s work: www.moodswings.net.au

Ian would feel so honoured that a ‘positive’ purpose and a ‘sense of meaning’ for his suffering had finally become a reality.
Only one day before this fateful day he wandered from his bedroom, tears rolling down his cheeks.
He looked at me and uttered though his tears, ‘There has to be a purpose for my suffering Carol’.

I took him by both hands and looked straight into his beautiful but deeply pained eyes and replied, ‘I do not know what that purpose is Ian, but together I promise you, we will walk it together until it is found’. Little did I know, within one week to this day, I would not be filling this ‘purpose’ without him by my side, but alone.

Establishing the Ian Parker Bipolar Research Fund was my only way forward to make some ‘sense’ of his suffering and to give real ‘meaning’ to his so often ‘fractured’ life and broken heart, and therefore to ‘fulfil’ his ‘purpose’.

My goal is to raise many funds to towards Bipolar Research for the many talented PhD Students seeking to dedicate toward the same career path as Emma to help us realise our dream one day of a CURE for Bipolar Disorder.

More of Ian’s story and the IPBRF: www.bipolarresearchfund.org.au