On October 16 at 12:30 p.m. at Mary Heads Park in Carrolton, the Greater North Texas Affiliate of the Huntington’s Disease Society of America (HDSA) will host the Greater North Texas Team Hope Walk sponsored by Genentech and Teva Pharmaceuticals.
HDSA was founded in 1967 by Marjorie Guthrie, the wife of legendary folk singer Woody Guthrie. Woody died from HD complications when he was only 55 years old, but the Guthrie family legacy lives on through HDSA to this day.
“It is amazing how bringing the passions of families in our HD community together at Team Hope Walk is both energetic and comforting,” said Melissa Wind, HDSA’s South Regional Development Officer.
“We really are a family, and I am so excited to see people in person, share a hug, and walk together for HDSA this year.”
Huntington’s disease is a fatal genetic disorder that causes the progressive breakdown of nerve cells in the brain.
It is a neurological and hereditary disorder that affects nerve cells in the brain, which causes physical, emotional, behavioral, and cognitive issues, and has symptoms that can be disruptive to relationships, jobs, and everyday activities.
Additionally, there is no discovered cure for the disease that deteriorates a person’s physical and mental abilities during their prime working years.
Every child of a parent with Huntington’s disease has a 50/50 chance of inheriting the gene.
Huntington’s disease has two subtypes, adult-onset Huntington’s disease and early-onset Huntington’s disease.
The adult onset of the disease is considered to be the most common form in which people typically develop symptoms by their mid-30s and 40s according to John Hopkins Medicine.
In early-onset Huntington’s disease, children or adolescents will develop the disease by experiencing abrupt difficulties with schoolwork and often have symptoms that are similar to Parkinson’s disease.
Today, there are approximately 41,000 symptomatic Americans and more than 200,000 at risk of inheriting the disease. The symptoms of HD are described as having ALS, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s – simultaneously.
The Huntington’s Disease Society of America hosts its largest national grassroots fundraising event, The Team Hope Walk event, which takes place in over 100 cities across the United States and has raised more than $20 million for HD since its inception in 2007.
All proceeds support HDSA’s mission to improve the lives of people affected by HD and their families.
Online registration and donation can be found here.
To learn more about Huntington’s disease and the work of the Huntington’s Disease Society of America, visit www.hdsa.org or call 800-345-HDSA.
Thank you for posting this. My mother died from HD and my sister is currently dealing with HD herself. It is so painful for the sufferers and the family. There is so little treatment available and so few funds available for research.