East Renfrewshire service user, Eddie, overcomes preconceptions surrounding Parkinson’s disease by challenging himself with old hobbies.
Eddie, one of our East Renfrewshire service users, has a keen interest in boats and model-making. For the longest time, this has been Eddie’s major hobby – building and sailing the boats he has replicated. Something in which his diagnosis of Parkinson’s temporarily threatened.
Eddie has overcome the preconceptions surrounding his condition by getting back into what he loves, creating beautiful model boats. The boats are constructed using a combination of plywood and plastic sheets, inspired by real-life boats/vessels.
Eddie is an active member of a club that regularly meets and sails their model boats on ponds in various parks in and around Glasgow. When he began getting support from SRS, he was frustrated with his limitations and had lost interest in model making. His carers encouraged his creativity and supported him to take the hobby up again as a passion project, which he did.
The Process
A lot of time, research, and skill goes into crafting and designing the boats. An example of this is Eddie’s boat build (pictured) which is a replica of a Swedish military boat. These are used to carry assault personnel but the load may vary from country to country, therefore there can be variations on the design. After deciding which model he will undertake, Eddie carefully researches plans and photographs of that particular boat to recreate it in detail. The boat features extensive attention to detail with the hull being put together alongside the motor/propeller and steering system.
Parkinson’s disease is a debilitating condition that leads to shaking, stiffness, and difficulty with walking, balance, and coordination. This made model-making a huge challenge for Eddie, but not one he couldn’t conquer. Proving you can achieve anything you set your mind to!
Well done, Eddie!