GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KKCO) -- Parkinson's disease effects 17,000 Coloradans today. The Parkinson Association of the Rockies held its first annual walk in Grand Junction today.

One local resident Nancy Booz says her mother has struggled with the disease for 16 years, and it has changed her life.

"It's a horrible disease, and there isn't a cure, and she doesn't deserve it. She is a little saint," said Booz.

Booz's mother Betty Lou Rumpf takes medication to control the disease six times a day.

"When she was in Denver, she had a support group, and there wasn't one here, so we started it," said Booz.

The Parkinson Association of the Rockies hopes to provide assistance to those diagnosed and raise awareness on the Western Slope.

"I look at the Parkinson's Association, and we provide care and services on the way to a cure," said Executive Director Sheryl Seefer.