Why I went public about my Parkinson’s Disease by Santhana Krishnan

This weekend's long read comes from one of our own community members, Santhana Krishnan. A Boston based technology entrepreneur, arts philanthropist, and the founder of Dwellin and the South Asian Art Gallery, Santhana operates in a world where projecting invincibility is the unwritten rule. In this piece, originally published on BostonGlobe.com on 18 October 2026, he explains why he decided to drop the mask and go public with his Parkinson's diagnosis. By Santhana Krishnan In 2009, when I was the CEO of a tech company in Boston, I began to notice something strange happening to my handwriting. It was getting smaller though I wasn’t trying to shrink it. Perhaps because I had been a fan of Michael J. Fox from watching many episodes of “Family Ties,” I developed a theory for what was happening to me: Parkinson’s Disease. My theory proved correct, but because there is no single definitive test for the disease, it would take three years for the diagnosis to be confirmed. For some people, the disease is debilitating. And in large part because of that perception, I decided to keep my illness private. I was raising money for my businesses and I didn’t want people to think: “He has Parkinson’s. He’s done.” Moreover, I didn’t want pity. I had polio as a child and couldn’t walk for a time. But my mother took me to therapy every day for a year, and I regained the ability to walk almost normally. I have also recovered from serious injuries to my knee and shoulder. I knew I could cope with Parkinson’s, too. With the support of my family and the financial resources I had built from business successes, I leaned into life despite my illness. Treatment with dopamine, though not a cure, helped stabilize my symptoms and allowed me to live a mostly normal life. I traveled more, founded a new company, and indulged my interest in art. These weren’t distractions. They were proof that a diagnosis is part of my story — not the whole book. But a few years ago, I realized it was time to start telling friends and associates that I had the disease. This year, I shared my story on LinkedIn. Why now? In recent months, I kept meeting people who told me they had Parkinson’s, including some I had known for years. Two friends told me separately that their spouses had the disease. Though they were friends with each other, they had no idea about their spouses’ shared condition until I connected them to each other. I found out that 11 people in my immediate circle had it. By going public, I was giving others permission to share experiences and support one another. Some still won’t acknowledge the disease to others, including one who is a doctor and is afraid that disclosure might hurt his practice. That fear is still very real for many people with Parkinson’s. But now, at least, he feels he can come to me. I also hope my experience helps people understand that Parkinson’s is not necessarily debilitating. It need not end your career or prevent you from driving, traveling, painting, or working. I know people with Parkinson’s who stopped doing all those things. I tell them they can do them again. My treatment with dopamine allowed me to manage the disease well enough that people often didn’t know I had it unless I told them. But after years on dopamine-based medication, I began experiencing side effects that are common in long-term Parkinson’s patients taking these medications. Known as dyskinesia, these are the erratic, uncontrolled movements that result from the body’s complicated relationship with my dopamine medication over time. These weren’t symptoms of the disease itself, but of treating it for so long. That’s when I turned to a different treatment, known as deep brain stimulation. DBS involves implanting electrodes in specific areas of the brain to deliver precisely targeted electrical stimulation, interrupting the abnormal signals that drive Parkinson’s symptoms. Today, people who don’t know me well have no idea I have Parkinson’s. I do yoga and boxing to keep my muscles toned and my reactions sharp. Since my diagnosis, I’ve traveled extensively, visiting 153 cities across 38 countries. I founded the South Asian Art Gallery in Chelmsford, Ma., which has promoted 125 artists and raised more than $550,000 for charity. In 2020, I created an AI home management platform called Dwellin, now used by more than 45,000 households in all 50 states. These days, I’m playing a larger role in my company than ever. My main physical constraints are not from Parkinson’s, but from things that predated my diagnosis: a knee injured climbing Machu Picchu, a leg weakened by polio in my childhood, torn shoulder ligaments, a spinal injury caused by a pool accident. Not everyone will have the support and resources I had to combat their Parkinson’s. But I firmly believe that many people can still build, create, travel, and lead despite the disease. The body may complain, but the spirit can negotiate. My advice to others with the disease: Lean on family and friends. Look for the humor. Stay grateful and be persistent. Parkinson’s is real, but so is the rest of your life.