Posts by: Erin Paterson

Erin Paterson

Toronto author Erin Paterson tested gene positive for Huntington's Disease in 2006. Despite the diagnosis she was determined to have a family and live a joyful life. She is a columnist for HuntingtonsDiseaseNews.com. She has also been published on TheMighty.com, Adopt4Life.com and has written for The Huntington Society of Canada (HSC). She spoke at the HSC national youth conference in 2018, and will do so again in the fall of 2019.

March 26, 2020March 24, 2020

Saying ‘Yes, Yes!’ to the Power of Words

Columns, From Where I Stand - a Column by Erin Paterson

I wasn’t expecting to be brought to tears when I heard motivational speaker Lisa Nichols address a crowd at the Archangel Summit in Toronto last year. Nichols strode onto ... Read more

February 21, 2020February 20, 2020

I Have Gained Many Things Because of Huntington’s

Columns, From Where I Stand - a Column by Erin Paterson

I walked through the door of my condo at 9 p.m., kicked off my running shoes, and dropped my gym bag on the floor. Crap, he’s not back yet, ... Read more

January 23, 2020January 22, 2020

I’ve Lost Many Things Because of Huntington’s

Columns, From Where I Stand - a Column by Erin Paterson

During the holidays, the small, wood-paneled dining room was full to bursting with my family members. Ten or more people squeezed around a table meant for six, with just ... Read more

December 19, 2019December 17, 2019

Having a Role Model Helped Me to Heal

Columns, From Where I Stand - a Column by Erin Paterson

I was an emotional mess when I first met Jeff Carroll at a Huntington’s disease conference. My recent gene-positive diagnosis was on my mind. I couldn’t talk about it ... Read more

November 21, 2019November 19, 2019

‘Just Show Up’: Accepting Support from the Huntington’s Community

Columns, From Where I Stand - a Column by Erin Paterson

For a time following my diagnosis as gene-positive for Huntington’s disease (HD), I avoided elderly people. The mere glimpse of a wrinkled hand was a reminder that I was ... Read more

October 24, 2019October 22, 2019

Thanks to My Dad’s Ideal Retired Life, I’m Less Afraid of My Future

Columns, From Where I Stand - a Column by Erin Paterson

Every time we visit my dad, we go for a walk on the beach. On a recent cool September afternoon, the four of us wandered along the water’s edge, ... Read more

September 19, 2019September 16, 2019

Thank You, Michael J. Fox

Columns, From Where I Stand - a Column by Erin Paterson

My husband and I were standing in a line of hundreds of people waiting to meet Michael J. Fox, one of the stars of the “Back to the Future” ... Read more

August 22, 2019August 20, 2019

There Are Many Ways to Be Brave

Columns, From Where I Stand - a Column by Erin Paterson

I was alone in my flower shop, surrounded by a rainbow of fresh flowers and bright orange walls. The warm summer sun filtered through the floor-to-ceiling window. Despite the ... Read more

July 18, 2019July 16, 2019

I Don’t Want to Live with a Secret Anymore

Columns, From Where I Stand - a Column by Erin Paterson

I made it down the long, sterile hallway and past the waiting room before bursting into tears. My husband gathered me into his arms as I stood there sobbing, ... Read more

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