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. Her work was published in the anthology, "Not Cancelled: Canadian Caremongering in the Face of Covid 19." She has also been published on TheMighty.com, Adopt4Life.com, CanadaAdopts.com, and TheHuntingtonSociety.ca. Recently, she wrote a memoir about her experiences with Huntington's disease, infertility, and creating a purposeful life. You can find her online at erinpaterson.com or on Instagram: @erinpaterson_allgoodthings

June 18, 2020June 17, 2020

The Day I Summoned the Courage to Update My LinkedIn Profile

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

We were settling down in the living room to relax after putting our daughter to bed for the night. I was sitting on the leather sofa with my legs curled ... Read more

May 21, 2020May 19, 2020

Music Transports Me Back to Those Dark Diagnosis Days

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

My husband and I were driving along a country road with no destination in mind. We needed to escape the city and our lives for the day. We drove past ... Read more

April 23, 2020June 2, 2020

My Genetic Status Complicated Having a Baby

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

As I walked down the street to get my afternoon coffee one day, it appeared as if everything was normal. Unfortunately, everything was not. I crossed the same streets I ... Read more

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 the ... 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, I ... 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 an ... 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 without ... 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 going ... 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, poking ... 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” trilogy ... Read more