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It takes some serious guts to laugh at yourself whilst fighting a debilitating disease, and that’s exactly what you’ll get from Sharon Kha, a former veep from the University of Arizona who is now suffering from Parkinsons, the progressive wasting disease that also afflicts Michael J. Fox. As Tucson’s newspaper, The Arizona Daily Star, reports:
She’s not rappin’ bout money, cash and ho’s, though. She’s
rapping about her disease. I’m not going to lie, it’s just a tad bit
creepy, especially when she coins the phrase “Parky,” which seems like
something you and I would get in trouble for saying.
“Parky!” she says.
“Slow,” I mumble, hoping this isn’t some sort of PC Police setup. This sort of thing goes on and on. Also, there are costumes, like a giant chain around her neck and a “sideways ballcap.” As the Star reports:
The songs, with names like “Shake It!” and “Tremor,” are sprinkled with insider information about Parkinson’s, such as erratic sleep patterns, a fear of falling and the frustration of putting on a sock…
Indeed, Kha brings levity to the disease. She refers to those affected as “Parkys” and recently published a booklet of her rap songs titled “Yo!”
“Say what, say what?” she asks the audience.
“Kick Parkinson’s in the butt!” they say, following her cue.
So, yeah, Kha is awesome and I respect the hell out of what she’s doing. I sorta feel like a bystander in that episode of South Park where Timmy and Jimmy join the Crips, though.
