GRAND ISLAND, N.Y. — When Roman Figler was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease (PD) four years ago, his son Justin had one thought.

"My attitude right away was, 'OK, there’s certain things we can do to try and mitigate this,' " he remembers. "We tried different therapies, and stuff like that."

The therapy that stuck was boxing. Parkinson’s Boxing to be exact, a gym dedicated to PD patients and other people with neurological disorders. Roman started training there two years ago. At first he struggled with the drills that require balance, a core element of boxing.

What You Need To Know

  • "Run For Roman," a fundraiser by Justin Figler, has brought in nearly $30,000 for Parkinson's Boxing

  • Parkinson's Boxing is a boxing gym that specializes in training Parkinson's disease (PD) patients and people with neurodegenerative conditions

  • Justin was inspired by his father, Roman, a PD patient who has trained at the gym and has seen improvement in his physical condition

"That’s when I felt clumsy," he remembers. "I needed support. I couldn’t stand up on my own. My balance was off where I had to be supported in order to complete the exercise."

Roman says he saw progress in a few months, and his coordination got much better. His son says Parkinson’s Boxing has been a blessing.

"It’s awesome, man. It’s super exciting," he says. "His tremor’s been reduced. His balance is better. He is more excited to go to they gym and work out because he feels empowered."

Justin was so inspired by his father’s improvement, he wanted to help the gym right back.

"They’re growing very fast (Parkinson's Boxing recently opened a second location in Myrtle Beach, S.C.). I was thinking 'these guys could really use a boost. Why not me? What could I do?' "

What he did was start a GoFundMe for the gym, and in return, he would "Run for Roman." Four miles every four hours for a full day.

"I was extremely appreciative," says Roman. "I was just overwhelmed, really speechless by the whole thing. I just thought, 'what a thing for him to do for me.' I’ve been somebody who’s always been trying to give back, give to others in the community, and it’s nice to see my kids are doing the same thing."

"I set up the GoFundMe with a goal for $5,000. We’ve absolutely smashed it," says Justin. "I couldn’t be more excited about that. I’m super grateful that people have been so willing to help."

By the time Justin laced up his shoes and started running, his fundraiser brought in almost $30,000 for the gym that helped his father.