A Family Tradition - a Column by Carlos Briceño

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Carlos is a journalist in the Midwest, who through the grace of God has been blessed with a brilliant, beautiful, and courageous wife and daughter. His wife found out she was gene-positive for Huntington’s Disease (HD) at the age of 41, while his daughter found out she was gene-positive for HD when she was 22. Carlos’s aim in writing column is to offer a caregiver’s perspective while also trying to inspire those families who are dealing with Huntington’s. He loves to evangelize, read, play soccer, and share — according to family members —really bad puns. (For the record, Carlos thinks his puns are really punny and funderful.)

The People Involved in Freeze HD Warm My Heart

On Saturday evening, my wife, Jill, and I will be putting on our fancy party clothes to attend the 7th Annual Freeze HD virtual event. The benefit will feature celebrities, music performances, and a silent auction, with the goal of raising money for the Huntington’s Disease Society of America.

Wondering About ADHD and Huntington’s

Earlier this year, I wrote that I was dealing with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but didn’t realize it until my wife, Jill, pointed it out to me. Today, with her permission, I’m turning the spotlight on her. My wife has always admitted that she suffers from ADHD,…

Handling Life’s Fragility With Care

In late July, before my nephew, Dylan, moved to the Georgian capital of Tbilisi, in the Caucasus region, for several months, I played several songs for him while we were in his car. One of them was a live version of “Fragile” by Sting. I know Dylan’s taste…

My Wife’s Family Is Huntington’s Strong

Huntington’s is a strange and deadly disease. It’s not like cancer. Only 5-10% of cancer is hereditary, and what’s passed down is the abnormal gene that can lead to cancer, not the cancer itself. It’s not like heart disease. Certain risk factors, such as high cholesterol, can be…

Waving Goodbye to Toxic Relationships

For more than two years, I have shared my family’s journey with Huntington’s, including learning about the disease, living through my wife and daughter testing gene-positive, and working to accept their diagnoses. This time, I want to share some advice from Jill, my wife: Let go of people who are…

‘Punting’ for a Cure for Huntington’s

My wife, Jill, and I celebrated our wedding anniversary last month. We like to joke that we don’t keep track of the years because it seems like yesterday when we got married. Some years, as a gift, I like to write her something romantic or funny. This year, I decided…