Kimberly Schlapman, a Little Big Town singer, says she became the primary caregiver for her 78-year-old mother after the family’s grief period gave way to a Parkinson’s diagnosis—and now she pushes for more open conversations about the disease.
When Kimberly Schlapman first noticed the tremor in her mother’s hand, she expected it to fade. After all, the timing came after a difficult stretch—Schlapman had been consumed by grief following the loss of her first husband in 2005.
“We thought, you know, she’s just in the grief like the rest of us are and nervous and trying to figure out what’s happening and what has happened,” the Little Big Town star said. “And so we didn’t think much of it.”
But the shaking didn’t go away. While Schlapman was in a studio in Nashville for a band rehearsal, her mother called and said she was pretty sure she had Parkinson’s disease.
“And I was like, what? What? Because no one in our family, to our knowledge, has had Parkinson’s before,” Schlapman said.
Her mother went to a neurologist and her suspicions were confirmed with an official diagnosis. Looking back, Schlapman said the early days were filled with uncertainty about what care would really mean.
“Back then when she was diagnosed, we didn’t understand what her care would mean. We didn’t know enough about the disease to know where we were headed,” she said. “But now, I mean, it’s 24-hour care.”
That shift—sudden clarity turning into constant responsibility—has shaped Schlapman’s day-to-day life as she balances work. caregiving. and parenting. Today she describes herself as part of the “sandwich generation,” caring for her mother while raising two kids. She said her mother is now 78 and her symptoms have worsened with age.
“Between work, caring for her 78-year-old mother—whose symptoms have worsened with age—and parenting two kids, Schlapman often feels the need to be in multiple places at once,” the story reports.
Schlapman said her role isn’t just an obligation. It’s deeply personal, rooted in what her mother meant to her.
“I love being a mama. I also know what my mama has meant to me in my life. And so now I get an opportunity to care for her. That’s incredibly important to me,” she said. “I also have a job where people rely on me.”
As her mother’s condition has grown more complex, Schlapman said she’s learned that caregiving isn’t only about being present—it’s about advocating at appointments and making sure doctors understand what a patient may not fully recognize.
When her mother was first diagnosed, Schlapman said her mother didn’t want anyone to know. Their family kept it secret for a while because “there was a bit of shame attached.”
Now, Schlapman and her family want to pull Parkinson’s out of the shadows. She said she is part of AbbVie’s “Changing the Tune of Parkinson’s Disease” campaign.
“There is no shame in this disease,” Schlapman said. “And there are so many of us out there living with it that we need each other and we need to talk about it. And the more we talk about it. the better off our loved ones are going to be because their care is going to be better and people are going to understand it more.”.
Schlapman said her family works together to care for her mother, including hiring help. She also said she recently moved closer to her mother to make it easier to be part of that care team.
“I just wouldn’t have it any other way,” she said. “We’re very, very involved in her care and with her doctors, and there’s one of us at every appointment she has.”
At appointments, Schlapman said it matters that her mother tells doctors how she’s feeling—but that it’s equally necessary for the family to share what they observe.
They notice changes in habits and health that Schlapman said can be crucial when guiding treatment, especially because Parkinson’s is so complex.
“I want people to know they’re not alone in this disease,” Schlapman said. “Whether you have the disease or your loved one has it, there’s so much to advocate for. And this disease is so complex that talking with a doctor and being open and honest about every single little or big symptom. every challenge. every change is so important so that your doctor can help you find a treatment plan that meets your needs as best as possible.”.
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