Awareness Walk for Huntington’s Disease

FARGO — There’s an awareness walk coming up this weekend that deals with a disease that steals mobility, memory and so much more from its victims.

And chances are, it’ll hit you right at the time your life could be its busiest and most fruitful.

It’s Huntington’s Disease, and it’s been described as combination of Alzheimer’s, Parkinsons, and ALS.

It causes the nerve cells in the brain to break down, so it may present early symptoms like not being able to follow TV shows, and forgetting common words.

The fatal disease typically strikes people in their forties, right around the time they often have young children at home and are hitting their stride professionally.

There are no treatments, and patients typically only live about fifteen years after the onset of symptoms.

The Huntington’s Disease Society of America of the Northern Plains says they’ve identified about 100 people in their part of the region affected by it, including patients and their family members.

And this weekend’s upcoming walk will go a long way toward people understand Huntington’s and learn what to do if you may be affected.

Amy Watkins of the HDSA joined the Morning Show to talk about why participation is growing by the year and what to do if you think you or someone you love may be showing symptoms.

For more information:

https://northernplains.hdsa.org/