A Family Tradition
— Carlos Briceño

When my wife, Jill, was diagnosed with Huntington’s disease (HD) in 2018, I thought I had already learned the lesson about appreciating loved ones while they are alive. Almost 20 years ago, my eldest sister, Nancy, died of cancer. Then, in the past 13 years, my father, mother, and…

My wife, Jill, is lucky to come from a loving family. Her relatives are the kind of people who would help anyone in any way they can. I’ve been blessed to be welcomed by them. After Jill was diagnosed with Huntington’s disease (HD) in 2018, our daughter, Alexus…

My wife, Jill, and I recently celebrated 15 years of marriage. When we said “I do” all those years ago, I couldn’t have guessed what would eventually happen to her: She is being robbed of her words. Or, as she puts it, words are “escaping” her. Jill will be…

My wife, Jill, has always been stubborn, to put it lightly. She won’t admit that something is too hard for her. Ever. “No, I got it” is her favorite saying. But since she was diagnosed with Huntington’s disease in 2018, I haven’t been sure if stubbornness is…

The other day, a lightbulb went off when I thought about the things that Huntington’s disease might rob from me. I’m married to someone who was diagnosed with Huntington’s in 2018, and I often focus on what the disease will steal from her (or us). But I hadn’t…

What do you say — in under a minute! — to someone about a rare disease? How do you convey the needs of people with Huntington’s disease (HD), knowing how terrible it is because you’ve spent years watching what it does to people you love? How can you explain…

I love the random questions my wife, Jill, asks me. One such query recently led to a deep and productive conversation. Jill asked me if I thought that anyone could become a good writer. I knew there was a story behind the question, so I asked if she’d share…

It was 6 a.m., time for me to leave for work. I got into my car, pressed down on the brake, and hit the start button. The engine sputtered and then made no sound. Uh-oh. I repeated the steps, but again, there was no comforting “vroom” sound of the engine…

How could a musical lead to tears and a conversation about my wife’s Huntington’s disease (HD)? That was my thought as Jill and I recently walked out of the National Theatre in Washington, D.C., after seeing a former Broadway musical called “Jagged Little Pill,” which was inspired…

The quote that best describes my wife, Jill, is “Hoping for the best, prepared for the worst, and unsurprised by anything in between,” from Maya Angelou‘s “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.” When the love of my life started showing early signs of Huntington’s disease (HD)…

After my beloved wife, Jill, and I left a recent party, she was a little shaken up. When I asked why she was upset, she said, “Do you think love is enough to sustain a marriage?” I said, “Yes, of course.” She said, “Did you know the University of…

When my wife, Jill, was diagnosed with Huntington’s disease (HD) in 2018, she had been feeling anxious and depressed. It was one of the reasons she decided to go through with genetic testing, as these are common symptoms that act as warning signs for gene-positive…