Faces of HD

Like many people in the HD community, Huntington’s disease has been a part of my life for a very long time. I am 29 years old, and my mother was diagnosed with the disease when I was a child. She spent most of my childhood in a nursing home until she passed in 2002. I did not get involved with HDSA until 2011 when the Las Vegas affiliate was created. The support and strength that I have received over the last 2 years has been life changing for me. Recently my husband and I moved to Michigan, where we are excited to become more involved with the HD groups here.

Living at risk for HD is not easy. Over the years I struggled with the idea of genetic testing. Should I or shouldn’t I? I recently decided to go through with the testing process. I would have never been able to cope during this difficult time if it wasn’t for my loving family and the wonderful friends I have met through the HD community. I attended my first HDSA convention last year, and I am looking forward to Jacksonville this summer. I am fortunate in that I do not have the HD gene, but the knowledge I have gained has encouraged me to fight even harder to help find a cure. Every day, I fight not only myself and my affected family members, but for everyone affected by this disease.