Wii game led to Parkinson's diagnosis

Julie Wilks, 54, only found out she had the degenerative disorder after noticing that she was leaning heavily to one side when she was standing on a Balance Board while playing the Wii Fit computer game.

Noticing her balance was lopsided left her feeling anxious and, when other symptoms developed, she went to a doctor who diagnosed Parkinson's.

Ms Wilks, a former laboratory technician of Guiseley, Leeds, said: "When it came to stepping onto the balance game it was showing on the screen that I was leaning on my left foot more heavily than the other."

She said that stuck in her mind and then she started to recognise other symptoms.

She is left-handed but started using her right hand and also found that she could not walk in her stilettos.

She added: "At work I managed to muddle through but no one was sure what was wrong with me, apart from that I was always tired."

Finally, after being referred to a neurologist Ms Wilks was given the news that she had Parkinson's.

She said: "It's quite amazing that a computer game was able to point out there was a problem."

Although she has been forced to give up her job as a result of her illness and has problems with walking, she has set up a website, Give A Little Sunshine, with the aim of trying to help others.