%TR% My Story with Huntington's disease began in 1979, when I met Rikki's father. I was 18. We didn't stay together very long because of his behaviours, which I learned later were often typical of HD. For years I just thought he wasn't a very nice person. During the time we were together he once told me his father had died of Huntington's disease, but he didn't explain much and I had no idea of it, so I didn't ask further & just accepted it. Never once did I consider HD or its consequences.

One of lives enormous tragedies is having a child diagnosed with JHD -- no cure,no hope,no chance. I consider that wrong. What the diagnosis produces is the ability to realise what life is all about, what we should be doing instead of mourning the inevitable is living it. I found it really tough for the 1st year. I cried over and over again; what could be worse than this? No warning is worse, no idea that your child could ba taken away through some kind of disaster. We never know what tomor

It was early August 2000, a lovely Summers day in Scotland (rare). Michael and I were going to Yorkhill hospital. He had been having problems -- falling, deteriorating motor skills, bad muscle tone; something wasn't quite right, I didn't know what. We were to meet a neurologist, an expert of 'the brain.' I knew very little about all of this. I suppose I was a bit 'ignorant'. Little did I know that two hours later our lives would change forever. As we walked into the neuro's office, he watched