Deep brain stimulation helps pastor with Parkinson’s
Pastor Matt Fennell of First Baptist Church of Blooming Prairie late last year underwent deep brain stimulation due to his Parkinson’s Disease. He is shown with his new friend, electrodes implanted in his chest. Staff photo by Howard Lestrud
He’s coping with Parkinson’s disease, in addition to managing the regular duties of leading his congregation.
Pastor Matt Fennell of First Baptist Church of Blooming Prairie lives with Parkinson’s disease and attends an Owatonna support group that meets the fourth Tuesday of the month in the Gainey Room of the Owatonna Public Library.
Fennell, who has a major tremor, is being treated with deep brain stimulation (DBS). He had the surgery at Mayo Clinic in Rochester.
Doctors placed two long probes deep (about 4 inches) into his brain. Another device is implanted beneath the collarbone. The electrodes produce electrical impulses that regulate abnormal impulses. Or the electrical impulses can affect certain cells and chemicals within the brain.
The amount of stimulation is controlled by the pacemaker-like device placed under the skin in Fennell’s upper chest.
Deep brain stimulation is also commonly used to treat conditions, such as:
- Essential tremor
- Dystonia
- Epilepsy
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder
It is also being studied as a potential treatment for:
- Tourette syndrome
- Huntington's disease and chorea (involuntary jerking movements)
- Chronic pain
- Cluster headaches
Fennell said he was fully awake during the first two-hour surgery. After it was over, he was trained on the use of the DBS unit. It takes a fair amount of time to recover, he said, admitting that the surgery was painful.
He said the second surgery was the most painful but thankfully, “I was sleeping.”
Fennell was diagnosed seven months ago. He noticed while on vacation that his left hand trembled badly. His mother encouraged him to go to a doctor.
Demonstrating the effect of DBS, Fennell turned off his unit to show the intensity of his tremor, then quickly turned the unit back on and his tremor subsided and eventually quit totally.
“My number one problem was tremors,” he said. “Dr. (Bryan) Lee was highly skilled in working with tremors. He has quite the record with over a thousand DBS procedures. It has brought me back.”
“My doctor says I have made significant improvement,” said Fennell.
His first surgery was during the week of Thanksgiving 2022. The machine was turned on the week before Christmas.
Fennell said his church has been very supportive. He took two weeks off from pastoral duties and has been giving the congregation regular reports.
“The first surgery really takes the starch out of you,” he confessed. “I do think I went through surgery well,” he added.
“It’s truly amazing,” he said, adding he experienced a “honeymoon” the first two weeks as he felt quite good.
Fennell and wife, Tammy, had five children: Ora, 30; Ian, 28; Aaron, 26; Ethan, 21; and Elliot, 17. The entire family is musical. Ora plays the piano, Ian plays the violin, Aaron plays the viola, Ethan plays the saxophone, and Elliot plays the cello.
The DBS surgery has given Fennell “the freedom to spend more time with my kids.”
He said he cannot feel the presence of the unit at all. “It’s just a battery in my chest,” he says.
Would he do it again?
“Tomorrow,” he said.