Faces of HD

At 25 years old you expect to be making decisions about your career path, where you want to live, planning trips to Europe, dating, and going shopping with friends.   None of those things involve being faced with the struggles of having your mom in a nursing home battling severe stage of Huntington’s disease and while watching her deteriorate knowing you have a 50/50 chance of going through the same thing.

It would be very easy for me to be angry, depressed and close myself off from the world.  I realized I was at a fork in the road I could chose to be bitter and angry or chose to be happy and try to make a difference.

Last year I helped bring a Team Hope Walk to Utah.  After the success we were able to apply to become the first HDSA Utah Affiliate and were accepted February 11, 2013.  With the help of my affiliate members, the support group that’s already been going on for the last few years, we are raising awareness and bringing hope to the families in our community.  HD was something my family didn’t talk about growing up, I knew my grandma died from it when I was a baby and there was a long family history.  I hope to change that.  I hope to continue to bring awareness and understanding to anyone affected by this devastating disease.