Utah Woman With Young-Onset Parkinson's Speaks Out for First Time About Possible Disease Cluster in West Valley City

Tammy Corrigan and her husband, Frankie, are ready to share their story as questions grow about Parkinson's and other illnesses in her childhood neighborhood.

SALT LAKE CITY, UT, UNITED STATES, October 20, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- A Utah woman diagnosed with young-onset Parkinson's disease is speaking out for the first time about her diagnosis and troubling reports of other illnesses in the West Valley City neighborhood where she grew up.

Tammy Corrigan's father also has Parkinson's disease. And now, she and her husband, Frankie, say they've learned of additional Parkinson's and cancer diagnoses among current and former residents of the neighborhood near 3500 South and 4800 West.

The couple wants to know whether these illnesses could be connected. Their concerns have drawn the attention of the Utah Department of Health and Human Services, which has begun looking into the situation.

Now, Tammy is ready to share her personal experience, the challenges of living with young-onset Parkinson's disease and the questions that have led her family to search for answers.

For Tammy, Parkinson's disease isn't just a diagnosis. It's something she and her father are both living with.

The family says genetic testing did not identify known hereditary Parkinson's mutations, raising questions about whether other factors, including possible environmental exposures, could have contributed to the diagnoses.

Those concerns grew when Frankie and Tammy learned of other Parkinson's and cancer diagnoses involving people who lived in the same West Valley City neighborhood.

While no disease cluster or environmental cause has been confirmed, the couple believes the reported illnesses deserve closer examination.

In August 2026, Frankie and Tammy co-authored an opinion piece in the *Deseret News* highlighting research associating exposure to the herbicide paraquat with an increased risk of Parkinson's disease.

They called on Utah lawmakers to ban the chemical, citing concerns about its potential health effects.

Although the cause of the reported illnesses in Tammy's childhood neighborhood remains unknown, the couple hopes greater awareness will encourage additional investigation into possible environmental factors.

For the first time, Tammy is making herself available for interviews to talk about living with young-onset Parkinson's disease and the concerns surrounding her childhood neighborhood.

She and Frankie hope that sharing their experience will encourage others who grew up in or currently live near 3500 South and 4800 West in West Valley City to come forward with information about similar diagnoses.

The couple is available for broadcast, print, digital and podcast interviews to discuss their family's experience, their search for answers and why they've decided to speak publicly now.

### Media Contact###

Tara Finestone
ATLAS IMPACT
tara@atlasimpact.global