Hello, thanks for stopping by my page. I am Gerleine A. Schoonover, mother of 2 with Huntington's Disease (HD), with 1 grandchild at-risk and also 2 children at-risk with 3 children. I do not have a count of other members of my late husbands family that have or are at-risk for HD, but there are quite a few.
Huntington's Disease is a neurological condition (loss of brain cells), that strikes from birth to death with the onset being more common from the late 20's and up. However, the very young and very old can also be affected. The first symptoms usually seen are changes in the behavior/personality of the person. The person with HD (pHD) will loose control of their body with speech and swallowing being a very big problem. They will become dependent on caregivers for everything. One of the sadder aspect is that they don't loose their memory, but cannot gain access to it, there by causing much frustration for the pHD and the caregivers.
I have been in this fight since 1972 when my husband was diagnosed and "we" were known as the Committee to Combat Huntington's Disease. "We" have grown and are now known as the Huntington's Disease Society of America. "We" have found the gene and learned how to do things like putting the gene into mice and other animals, there by giving our researchers many tools to work with.
At this time, some people are being helped with their symptoms and others not with current medications available. BUT, there is no cure or control, BUT -- our researchers are much closer today than ever before. And the research that is done, may also lead to answers for other neurological conditions such as Parkinson's, ALS or Alzheimer's diseases.
So please join us in this fight.. Many thanks for your support -- and don't forget to forward this to anyone who you think might want to donate too!
An added note...my thanks to my children, Rusty, Mary Kay and Megan --Gregory, Barbara, Lauren and GregoryJr.--Gilbert, Linda and Chris-- and Gerri Ann, for their donations to the Walk and my life...
ALSO--Thanks to Rita, Wilma, Nadine and Bill, Nonnie(my little sis), Ollivene