Homeward Journey

- Joan Foor Huntington's Disease is a hereditary disorder that affects the brain cells causing uncontrolled body movements, lack of coordination, loss of ability to think and reason as well as psychological difficulties. There are approximately 30,000 people in the United States who are affected by HD and another 200,000 who are at risk of developing the disease. HD generally strikes in mid-life, between the ages of 30-50, but cases as young as 2 years and as old as 80 have been reported. In 1993, the gene that causes HD was identified and a simple predictive test was developed to determine whether a person carries the defective gene or not. Those who do carry the gene will develop the disease (if they live long enough) and they CAN pass it onto each of their children. Those who do not inherit the gene cannot pass HD onto any of their children - HD does no skip generations. There is currently no effective treatmen