Rolf Lulloff, a retired orthopedic surgeon from Green Bay, Wisconsin is getting ready to run his fifth Boston Marathon and is fundraising for his nonprofit Brain Center of Green Bay.
While he is a seasoned runner, this particular marathon is special because he is running it in honor of his late wife, Ann who passed away last year from Parkinson’s disease.
“45 years with that disease is a long, long time. We had a high quality of life,” Dr. Lulloff told NBC26. “Three children. Eight grandchildren. Traveled, did lots of things, and we learned how we could make bad days better.”
Ann experienced her first symptom of Parkinson’s disease at 36 years old when she lost her sense of smell. After years of taking care of her, he found the Brain Center with five other doctors who were also invested in neurodegenerative disease.
The Brain Center of Green Bay’s mission is to raise awareness about brain health and foster collaboration, advocacy, research and education.
Lulloff said he has always loved to run but picked it up more regularly in medical school to relieve stress. He explained that stress is a toxin just like alcohol or a poison.
He ran his first Boston Marathon at age 36 in 1978. He doubled that time at age 72 the last time he ran it in 2013.
By raising awareness about brain health through his race, he hopes he reminds people of the importance of brain health and its connection to healthy diet and regular movement.
The incidence of neurodegenerative disorders continues to grow in the U.S. as the population ages. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, 11.3% of Americans aged 65 and older have Alzheimer’s dementia. And almost 60,000 Americans are diagnosed annually with Parkinson’s disease, the Parkinson’s Foundation reports.
Lulloff said while you can’t change your genetics, you can change how you live to deal with these conditions.
He was also an orthopedic surgeon at Prevea Health from July 1974 to December 2017.
The Brain Center is trying to raise $126,000 to provide free education and coaching centers for families. If you are interested in helping, you can donate here.
