A legacy of sibling love for Parkinson's research

When Lynda Clarke returned home after years abroad, she noticed small changes in her brother, Ray. Subtle shifts in his movement led to a diagnosis that would shape the next 16 years of their lives: Parkinson's disease. 

Ray, a vibrant and outgoing primary school teacher, faced the disease with quiet strength, never succumbing to self-pity.

“He wanted to do what he could while he could,” Lynda recalls. 

Even as Parkinson's slowly stripped away his physical freedom and dulled his personality, Ray's spirit remained intact. 

Caring for Ray became Lynda's life. She looked after him at home, then moved him in with her for five years before making the difficult decision to transition him to residential care.

“It was only mum, dad, Ray and I growing up, so the emphasis was always to support each other, always love each other, and at one stage my mum, my dad and Ray were all in the same residential care place,” Lynda says. 

“Dad was 98, mum was 99 but Ray was only 62 when he first moved in. They would often meet for coffee while Ray could walk.”

Despite the disease’s relentless progression, Ray's optimism persisted, drawing inspiration from fellow residents who had endured incredible hardships.

Ray passed away suddenly aged 66 from aspirational pneumonia, but his story didn’t end there. 

As the primary beneficiary of Ray’s estate, Lynda wanted to do something with her brother’s money that would help other people.

A former librarian at Flinders University for 22 years, Lynda was researching Parkinson’s disease when she came across UQ’s Queensland Brain Institute (QBI). 

Determined to honour her brother's life and help others battling Parkinson's, Lynda established the Ray Clarke Endowment Fund at QBI to support vital research. 

She kickstarted the research fund with a $100,000 donation, with plans to contribute more over time and include it in her will. 

“I couldn’t save Ray’s life, but maybe this can help someone else,” Lynda says.

“I took a long time to think about it because Ray worked hard for his money, and I wanted to make sure it was going to go to a place that could make a difference.”

QBI director Professor Pankaj Sah thanked Lynda for her generosity and vision in choosing to bequeath Ray’s estate to QBI.

“We are committed to honouring Ray’s legacy by advancing brain research, with a particular focus on Parkinson’s disease, to make a lasting impact and help improve lives in the years to come,” he says.

Lynda’s generosity ensures that Ray's legacy lives on—fuelling research, hope, and the possibility of a future without Parkinson’s disease.