The author of *Heated Rivalry* has disclosed that the success of its television adaptation has led to her accessing specialized care for her Parkinson’s disease.
Rachel Reid, 45, received a diagnosis of the condition in the summer of 2023, coinciding with initial discussions regarding adapting her book series for the screen.
*Heated Rivalry*, which chronicles an intense same-sex relationship between two ice hockey players, has garnered significant attention as a prominent new television program in recent weeks.
In an interview with Variety, the Canadian author shared that a Parkinson’s expert contacted her after learning about her diagnosis during a promotional interview for the series.
Reid stated that the ensuing appointment she secured with a neurologist “could change things for me, because I’m not really getting the treatment that I should be getting”.
Reid’s initial foray into the *Game Changers* series began in 2018 with her first book.
Following the publication of five subsequent novels, the television adaptation swiftly generated buzz upon its premiere in North America in late November.
The show, adapted and directed by Jacob Tierney, is scheduled to debut in the UK on January 10 via Sky and the streaming service Now.
Speaking to Variety, Reid described the attention the show has received as leading to an “amazing thing.”
“Jacob was on CNN a few weeks ago. For whatever reason, the interviewer asked him about my Parkinson’s diagnosis,” she recalled.
“I thought it was kind of odd, but then the next day, one of the top Parkinson’s experts in the world reached out to me and asked if he could help me.”
Reid elaborated: “I’ve never gotten to talk to a Parkinson’s expert. I’ve been on a five-year waiting list here because I live in a very small place.
“Now he’s found me a Parkinson’s expert, a neurologist, and I have an appointment in a couple weeks.
“That could change things for me because I’m not really getting the treatment that I should be getting.
“He also told me how to change my medication so I can sleep because I never slept. That change made me sleep through the night, which really helps with writing.”
Reid noted that her Parkinson’s has presented challenges to her writing process “because I can barely control a mouse.”
“I can’t type for very long,” she added. “It’s hard for me to sit in a chair for very long. I need to figure out new ways to write.
“I don’t know if that will be voice-to-text. I don’t know if I can write that way. It doesn’t feel natural, but I need to figure out something because it is taking me a very long time to write now.”
*Heated Rivalry* centers on the relationship between rival hockey players Shane and Ilya, portrayed by Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie.
The pair are initially connected through rivalry and ambition but embark on a clandestine affair that develops into a long-term relationship.
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive condition that worsens over time.
Individuals with Parkinson’s exhibit diminished levels of the chemical dopamine in the brain due to the impaired function of nerve cells responsible for its production.
Symptoms include:
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