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05.02.2019 09:43:22
Many people in Drensteinfurt have heard of Thomas Bonnekoh (58 years old). He has been known as a board member of the Drensteinfurt sports community (SVD) for many years, as its first chairperson for several years, as a cofounder of the billiards group “Klack 09” and the SVD website administrator. However, not everyone knows that this resident of Drensteinfurt has been struggling with Parkinson’s disease for many years and is a member of the self-help group in Muenster. He takes an active part in the activities of the group. Thus, he has suggested organizing an introductory course for an Argentine tango group.
It was 2005 when Bonnekoh was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, which at first was a shock for him. “I had an accident while skiing, and my shoulder no longer moved as before,” he recalls. There had been many visits to the doctor before a neurologist found the reason that no one had thought of. Unlike many people with this disease, Bonnekoh suffers not from tremor, but from the rigidity of all muscles.
Fortunately, the disease was diagnosed early, and this made it possible to slow down its progression through treatment. Having recovered from the shock, the man who was 44 years old at that time accepted the inevitable. On the Internet, he came across a self-help group of people who had developed the disease early. It was in Duesseldorf which is far from Drensteinfurt, but he managed to get there from the city of Herdecke where he worked. In Duesseldorf, he got to know the Argentine tango as a therapy. Of course, according to him, dancing cannot cure Parkinson’s disease, but it can relieve the symptoms. “The Argentine tango promotes mobility and motor activity,” says the native inhabitant of Soest who knows it from his own experience.
After he retired last year, he found it difficult to get to Duesseldorf which is far away. He looked for a group in Muenster, and, luckily, there was one. Recently he has founded a self-help group for people diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease at an early age in Muenster as well. According to Bonnekoh, the number of such people is growing. Since the group leader who is more than 80 years old wants to leave the group, Bonnekoh has agreed to take on the duties of the chairperson and work as a team with Dagmar Mende and Udo Ahrweiler. This requires the consent of the Federal Union, however, there is still time.
Despite this, the 58-year-old man suggested organising an Argentine tango group and received positive responses. He contacted Silvia Kahlau, a doctor dealing with nervous system disorders through the use of the tango, in Ostbevern. She was looking for a group. She found the premises in the tango school in Muenster. The first introductory course has already passed, the second one will be held from 4 to 18 February. “We have 18 applications now,” rejoices Bonnekoh. His goal is to arrange Argentine tango classes twice a month for a long time.
