Huntington's Disease, is a rare neurological inherited disease affecting 1 in 20,000 people of Western European descent. It is passed on from generation to generation, needing only one affected parent to pass on the affected gene causing the disease. There is a 50/50 chance that any child of an affected parent will inherit the disease. Pretty good odds, if you were a betting person, that you won't know someone with Huntington's disease, much less actually have it affect you personally. Not so in my family. My mother is one of five children born to my grandparents. My mother was the only one of the five who was not affected with the disease. This morning, the last of my mother's siblings, Aunt Patricia, succumbed to Huntington's. I've posted about this disease before, when my Aunt Rosie (Catherine) died.
My mom's family, in the picture above, are (clockwise from top left) my mother Mildred, Patricia, Patrick, Susan, and Catherine. I thank God often that my mother was not affected and that I am lucky enough to have avoided this disease. (I have one cousin, Bill, that has the disease. It affected him roughly ten years earlier than it commonly affects most. He is 2 months younger than I am.) I miss my aunts and uncle dearly. They were all very good people who had hardships in their lives to overcome and were not deserving of their suffering. They were taken from us way to soon. God bless them all.
Shelly and Mom
May 6, 2007 at 9:11 am
As I sit here reading your blog out to mom I have to stop many times because I am choked up – you have expressed so eloquently what is in our thoughts and in our hearts.
We have lost so many in our family – aunts and uncle and for mom all her sisters and her brother. I can not even imagine what she has gone through, what our cousins have gone through losing their parents, the spouses losing their life mates, and our aunt watching her child go through this horrible disease after watching it take her husband… if our hurt is this great, what must they feel?!?!?
We are and remain a VERY close family – each and every one of my family are in my (our) prayers at, once again, this very sad time.
Thank you Steve for having this blog – for giving us this tool to share, not only our sadness but our joys. You truly are a wonderful brother.
Take care and God bless.
Jody
May 6, 2007 at 10:01 am
Okay, I’m starting to get choked-up now.
It’s admirable how Steve’s use of this site appears to have brought your family even closer together, although it seems you’re close already.
It sometimes feels like I’m intruding though, reading about the lives of a family I don’t know, but am beginning to know, in a small way.
Steve and his friends often are sarcastic with each other, and although we usually know when we’re joking, I want to ensure you know my intention now: this isn’t a sarcastic post.
With respect,
jody