A Family Tradition - a Column by Carlos Briceño

My wife, Jill, has battled being gene-positive with Huntington’s disease (HD) with remarkable grace and resilience. Despite her difficulties, she continues to find joy in the simple things, such as the companionship of a furry friend. Our beloved dog, Baby Girl, passed away in 2022, leaving a…

My wife, Jill, has Huntington’s disease — a rare, neurodegenerative illness that can seem to rule her life. One of the hardest things to deal with is Jill’s nearly constant worrying about going places. It’s difficult to…

The weight of my family’s history often feels like a shadow I can’t outrun. My mother battled bipolar disorder while my father fought his demons with alcohol. I lost both of my sisters far too young, and now my beloved wife, Jill, and our daughter, Alexus,…

After my wife, Jill, was diagnosed with Huntington’s disease (HD) in 2018, we gained a new level of appreciation for people affected by terrible storms and other natural disasters. The rare disease she inherited made us realize, in deeper ways, that what she’s experiencing as her neurodegenerative illness progresses…

My wife, Jill, has always been a fighter, no question about it. Before her Huntington’s disease diagnosis, she’d march into any battle against anyone or anything without hesitation, no matter the stakes. After she learned that she’d experience the same decline from Huntington’s as her father did, though, she seemed to…

If there’s one thing I know about my wife, Jill, who’s gene-positive for Huntington’s disease (HD), it’s that she seems to have a funny relationship with electronics. Over the years, her cellphones have developed quirks: missed calls, delayed texts, ghost vibrations when there’s nothing there. It’s not that she’s…

Death wasn’t something I thought much about when I was younger. My mortality felt distant and abstract. Then, over a 16-year period, everything changed: My two older sisters died, one from cancer and the other from a tragic accident, and my parents also passed away. During that time frame,…

In 2018, in the months leading up to when my wife, Jill, was diagnosed as gene-positive with Huntington’s disease (HD), we kept our worries to ourselves about the symptoms she was exhibiting, including chorea and depression. We knew they were classic signs of HD, but it was difficult to…

I’ve always loved watching the Olympics. Seeing athletes in dazzling form and fierce competition compels my attention, and the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris was no different. Little did I know that watching one event would lead my wife, Jill, and I to have a profound conversation about honesty,…

My wife Jill‘s love knows no bounds. She’s patient, forgiving, and understands me deeply. Yet, I sometimes act without considering how my decisions affect her. Here’s an example: I like to speak in public. I frequently discuss my faith, and although Jill doesn’t always share my beliefs, she…