When the Invisible Becomes Visible: Women Veterans and Parkinson's Disease

When retired Coast Guard Lt. Commander Jessica Snyder began experiencing unusual symptoms in 2013—just a year after returning from combat deployment in the Middle East—military doctors attributed them to stress, anxiety, and the challenges of being a woman entering middle age. Bladder incontinence, sleep disturbances, severe blood pressure drops when simply bending to tie her shoes. The explanations were dismissive, the symptoms minimized.

Six years later, at just 39 years old, Snyder received a diagnosis that changed everything: young-onset Parkinson's disease.

Her story illuminates a critical gap in how we understand, diagnose, and support women veterans living with Parkinson's—a gap that leaves too many fighting for recognition, resources, and community.

The Hidden Face of Parkinson's

When most people think of Parkinson's disease, they envision elderly men with visible tremors. This narrow perception creates a blind spot that's particularly harmful to women veterans who develop symptoms at younger ages or present differently than the stereotype.

Snyder's experience reflects this reality. Despite being responsible for 3,400 Coast Guard personnel's careers and preparing to lead a 145-person rapid deployment unit, her legitimate health concerns were brushed aside. The underlying assumption? Women are stressed, hormonal, anxious—anything but seriously ill.

The truth is more complex and more urgent. Over 110,000 veterans with Parkinson's disease currently receive care through the Department of Veterans Affairs. While the exact cause remains unknown, research points to genetic and environmental factors. For veterans, exposure to Agent Orange or other herbicides during military service has been linked to developing Parkinson's, making it a service-connected condition that qualifies for VA disability compensation and healthcare.

The Search for Community

After her diagnosis, Snyder did what many of us would do—she searched for resources, support groups, and community. What she found was disheartening.

"I was searching all the different things. Women with Parkinson's. Young people with Parkinson's. Military with Parkinson's," she explained. "I just wasn't finding a lot of information that looked like me or pertained to me at the time."

The available resources predominantly featured older white men—not young female veterans navigating both the VA system and a progressive neurological disease. The representation gap wasn't just about visibility; it was about access to relevant information, appropriate treatment approaches, and peer support from people who understood the unique intersection of military service, gender, and chronic illness.

Building the Bridge

Rather than accepting the isolation, Snyder became the resource she couldn't find. She connected with the Parkinson's Foundation, which has formally partnered with the VA since 2020 to improve care for veterans living with Parkinson's. She sought out support groups and built community connections. Most importantly, she began mentoring newly diagnosed veterans and women navigating the VA system.

"I'm no longer on the path of being a starred admiral, but I've found a different avenue to be of service," Snyder said. "Mentorship drives me."

That sense of service—so central to military identity—now channels toward advocacy and visibility for female veterans with Parkinson's. Her work ensures that the next young woman veteran experiencing unexplained symptoms won't search in vain for someone who understands.

What You Need to Know

If you're a woman veteran experiencing symptoms that seem unexplained or are being dismissed, here's what you should know:

Recognize the symptoms: Parkinson's doesn't always present as tremors. Watch for sleep behavior changes, blood pressure irregularities, bladder issues, stiffness, balance problems, and fatigue that seems disproportionate to activity level.

Advocate for yourself: If medical providers dismiss your concerns as stress or anxiety without thorough investigation, push back. Request referrals to specialists. Document your symptoms. You know your body.

Understand your eligibility: Veterans with Parkinson's who were exposed to herbicides like Agent Orange during service may qualify for VA disability compensation and healthcare. Don't assume you don't qualify—file a claim and let the evidence speak.

Find community: The Parkinson's Foundation offers a toll-free Helpline at 1-800-4PD-INFO. In the last year alone, more than 2,600 cases concerned veterans. You're not alone, even when it feels that way.

Consider mentorship: Whether you're newly diagnosed or years into your journey, connecting with someone who understands both military culture and Parkinson's can make an enormous difference.

The Bigger Picture

Snyder's story isn't just about Parkinson's disease. It's about the systemic ways women veterans' health concerns are minimized, dismissed, or attributed to gender-based stereotypes rather than investigated as legitimate medical issues. It's about the gaps in representation that make women feel invisible even when they're fighting serious illnesses. And it's about the power of one person refusing to accept that invisibility.

While most people develop Parkinson's at 50 or older, young-onset cases like Snyder's remind us that chronic illness doesn't follow neat timelines or demographics. Women veterans deserve resources that reflect their experiences, healthcare providers who take their symptoms seriously, and communities where they can find support without having to be the first, the only, or the pioneer.

Moving Forward

As we move through 2026, CAPT JANE remains committed to amplifying the voices and experiences of women veterans navigating health challenges that too often go unrecognized. Snyder's advocacy work demonstrates what becomes possible when we refuse to let women veterans remain invisible.

If you're a woman veteran living with Parkinson's or experiencing unexplained symptoms, know this: You deserve to be heard. You deserve thorough medical investigation. You deserve community and support. And you deserve to have your service recognized not just in gratitude, but in the quality and accessibility of your healthcare.

The path forward requires visibility, advocacy, and the courage to share stories that challenge misconceptions. Jessica Snyder is building that path. The question is: How can we support her and the thousands of women veterans facing similar battles?

If you or someone you know is a woman veteran living with Parkinson's disease, the Parkinson's Foundation Helpline is available at 1-800-4PD-INFO (1-800-473-4636). Veterans may also be eligible for specialized care through VA Parkinson's Disease Research, Education and Clinical Centers (PADRECCs) located at VA medical centers nationwide. Read the original article: https://www.audacy.com/connectingvets/news/women-veterans/helping-female-veterans-living-with-parkinsons-disease