A Family Tradition - a Column by Carlos Briceño

Recently, my wife, Jill, and I were talking about a book I was reading. She commented that I don’t just read books, I devour them. As the conversation continued, we started talking about how both of our fathers liked to read as well. Jill’s dad passed away in 2011…

As I write this first paragraph, I’m in the living room. My wife, Jill, is on the sofa next to me doing her nails, and my dog, Baby Girl, is several feet away on the floor under the piano, sleeping on her side. I can hear her breathing. By…

Recently, my wife, Jill, who is gene-positive for Huntington’s disease (HD), took a trip to Boston to participate in an observational HD study. She had been looking forward to it in part because she’d be able to visit her brother and his family and stay at our daughter‘s…

Tiny moments. Life is full of them. For instance: I was not expecting the phone call. My wife, Jill, always texts me when she wakes up. She never calls. But during a recent morning, my cellphone rang while I was at work, and when I picked up, I saw…

My wife, Jill, and I selected “A Family Tradition” as the name of this column because of the genetic nature of Huntington’s disease (HD). If someone has the HD gene mutation, their children have a 50% chance of inheriting the disease. It’s a tradition that no one…

Second in a series. Read part one. As my wife, Jill, experiences Huntington’s disease (HD) progression, we must prepare for all aspects of her care. Recently, she wanted to start thinking about our financial future. She knows that HD can be a financial burden, as the rare…

First in a series. My wife, Jill, who was diagnosed with Huntington’s disease (HD) in 2018, doesn’t like to think about what’s in store for her. She knows her illness will progress in cruel ways, so she prefers to live in the present moment. But recently,…

One of the supervillains from my childhood was Mr. Freeze, who was featured in DC Comics and the 1960s “Batman” television series. For years, I associated the word “freeze” with negative connotations because Mr. Freeze was such an evil character. Nowadays, “freeze” is a word I’m grateful for…

Thinking about death isn’t pleasant, and neither is talking about it. But my wife, Jill, who is gene-positive for Huntington’s disease (HD), asked me to write about the topic. In particular, she wanted me to discuss the importance of making a living will. Being proactive in this manner…

The month of August just happens to be when I, my wife, Jill, and her nephew, Jackson, were born. Jill loves birthdays — except hers. This year, I truly understood why. To celebrate, we visited Boston, where our daughter, Alexus, and her husband, René, live, as well…