CHESAPEAKE, VA (WTKR)- Last week, Carlos Velez stepped in front of the mound at Harbor Park and fired in a first pitch prior to a Tides game.
It was quite the experience for a big baseball fan, but this was about more than just a throw for Carlos.
"Throwing that ball, which was a strike, by the way, it means a lot," he recalled. "For [everybody with] Parkinson's, every single caregiver, every single doctor, supporter, this is for them."
A veteran of the United States Navy, Carlos is an ambassador for the American Parkinson's Disease Association. It's a condition with which he's become all too familiar.
"On June 14, 2023, I was officially diagnosed with Parkinson's," remembered Carlos. "That day was a crushing blow, but here we are."
He's lived with the ailment for almost the last three years. The 49-year old doesn't have the consistent tremors that many associate with the disease, but his pain level, stiffness and speech can change from one moment to the next.
"Basically you're sitting on a rollercoaster strapped in that hasn't stopped," he said of battling the condition. "It went up, you've got Parkinson's, good luck. It goes up and down, left and right, you get used to it, you turn, you spin."
It's a ride with which Carlos has become familiar and has learned to push forward, thanks to the help of his support system and his family.
"My wife is my rock," the Chesapeake resident said. "She's been my steady hand in this storm. Every time I need something, she anticipates it. My kids constantly check in on me. I'm lucky."
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Tides recognize Parkinson's Disease Awareness Month
There's another activity that helps Carlos manage Parkinson's. He's become an avid beekeeper. It's something that interested the Navy veteran before he was diagnosed. Since then, a friend has given him a hive, his backyard apiary has grown and it's helped him through his journey. Beekeeping has grown from a hobby into a passion.
"I fell in love," he said. "I feel revived, I feel re-energized. This is cool. This is really awesome, learning from such a small animal that's so influential to humanity."
The space is where he can pause that rollercoaster to which he was referring. He appreciates each insect, their contribution to the colony and it's a love from which the disease can't keep him.
"When I open the hive, I feel at peace," Carlos noted. "My tremors go way, my stiffness goes away, my fluency, my speech."
Now Carlos is devoted to bringing Parkinson's awareness to his colony. He says the disease may slow a person down, but it can't stop anybody. He hopes people who have been diagnosed with the ailment do what they love, find support and live life to the fullest.
"Reach out! Don't hide it. It's kind of awkward to go out. Yeah, we look funny, we walk funny, we probably talk funny. It's OK!," he exclaimed. "Do what you love."
Carlos will be one of many to take part on the ADPA Virginia Chapter's Norfolk Optimism Walk in the Mermaid City this Saturday. WTKR News 3 sports director Marc Davis will serve as the event's emcee. For more information on the Optimism Walk, click here.
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