A Family Tradition - a Column by Carlos Briceño

vote, white coat syndrome, protective, show, details, unexpected, party on, choose, outside the box 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.)

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…

Why I Choose to Be Like Water

“Parting is such sweet sorrow,” Shakespeare once wrote. And don’t I know it. Recently, the big news in my home is we’re moving to the East Coast, as my wife, Jill, and I want to move closer to our daughter, who lives in Boston, and other family…

The Squeaky Wheel Gets the Grease

Dear people working to find a cure for Huntington’s disease (HD), I imagine you all have various reasons for seeking a cure. Near the top of your list is probably a love for science and a challenge. Or, perhaps you view HD like George Huntington, whose medical observations of people…

Good Decision-making Is an Important Trait for Caregivers

My wife, Jill, and I recently bought a new car. While this might not seem related to the Huntington’s disease community, it actually is, because it involves decision-making, a big topic for families who deal with the disease. I’m thrilled about the new car, as well as another important development…

Look! A Squirrel!

My wife, Jill, has diagnosed me with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). (Look! A squirrel!) For the record, she is not a doctor, though she wishes she could play one on television. All joking aside, Jill has this uncanny ability to identify people’s issues. I remember the first time…

How Huntington’s Is Like a Cyberattack

In early May, cybercriminals known as DarkSide launched a devastating ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline, one of the United States’ largest pipeline systems for refined oil products, which transports around 100 million gallons of fuel daily between Texas and New York. This attack reminded me of Huntington’s disease.