The Daunting 50/50 Chance of Inheriting the Huntingtin Mutated Gene

An individual who has a parent with Huntington’s disease has a 50/50 chance of inheriting the mutated huntingtin gene that causes Huntington’s disease (HD). I had never heard of HD until I met my husband, John, in college. Unbeknownst to John and his three (3) sisters, their mother had HD along with her two brothers and one sister.

Is this difficult to live with a flip of a coin chance? I can’t answer that but I can answer how difficult it was for me as I silently waited, watched, and prayed, these four (4) siblings would be free of the disease.

I married into the Marin family recognizing that, statistically speaking, at least two (2) of the four (4) sibling would inherit the gene. Living everyday with this RISK changed the way I looked at life and the threat strengthened my commitment and love for John because I knew our life could change in the blink of an eye.

John and I didn’t sweat the small stuff, nor did we put off something we wanted to do. Some people wait until they retire to do this or that, John and I did it as soon as we could. We both had good jobs which allowed us that freedom. When our children were born, we made as many memories as we could so if their dad developed HD, they had those memories.

We are blessed that John tested negative in 2016.

We Can Never Lose HOPE…..

I’m a Huntington’s disease advocate, Chair for the HDSA San Francisco Bay Area Affiliate, a blogger and an author. Visit my website: https://theresecrutchermarin.com