Negative to Positives – a Column by B.J. Viau

Deciding whether to undergo genetic testing for Huntington’s disease (HD) is a personal choice. As Ana Pena reports in a 2019 article for Huntington’s Disease News, researchers have found that “as many as 90% of individuals who have a parent with Huntington’s choose not to take a…

Ever since my mom was diagnosed with Huntington’s disease (HD) in 1995, I’ve been attending all types of support, fundraising, and educational events. I’ve had the honor of traveling the world and meeting people from many countries who’ve been affected by HD. When I was young, my parents…

Help4HD is a nonprofit organization with a mission to educate the world about Huntington’s disease (HD) and juvenile Huntington’s disease. Its aim is to serve our community and provide information, education, and resources. Help4HD hosted its annual family symposium in Nashville, Tennessee, October 7-8, and it was…

In my previous column, I wrote about the need for new genetic testing options for people at risk for Huntington’s disease (HD), and teased a new passion project I’ve been working on. I’m excited to share a bit more about my endeavor in hopes of helping the HD…

I started doing a lot of research about genetic testing for Huntington’s disease (HD) in 2019, after years of hearing stories from people in the community who’d had poor experiences. I came to the conclusion about a year into my research that if I didn’t try do something about…

As I’ve shared in previous columns, several Huntington’s disease (HD) advocates, including myself, were granted a patient listening session with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), focused on people who are gene-positive for HD but have not yet developed symptoms. In preparation for the session, which took…

The Huntington’s Disease Society of America’s (HDSA) annual convention is one of my favorite events to attend, as I wrote in my previous column. It’s a weekend full of learning from experts, hearing about the latest clinical trial and research updates, connecting with community stakeholders, and enjoying…

As of this writing, I’m preparing to attend the Huntington’s Disease Society of America’s (HDSA) annual convention in Atlanta from June 9–11. It’s been three years since the convention was last held in person, in Boston. Much has happened around the world since then, but we’re finally able to…

In my previous column, I shared that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) accepted the request submitted by my fellow advocates and me to host a patient listening session focused on people who are gene-positive for Huntington’s disease (HD), but have not yet developed symptoms. Our session is…

When I stepped away from my role as board chair of the Huntington’s Disease Youth Organization in 2020, I knew it wouldn’t be long before I found my next Huntington’s passion project. The passion in me is deeply rooted and originally created through my mom, who passed from Huntington’s…