Another One Gone

My uncle died this week of Huntington's-related causes. He was younger than my dad, and was diagnosed 10 years after my dad was. It's strange how differently each person is affected by it. My grandmother passed away when I was in eighth grade. She was in her 70's and lived for quite some time with the symptoms (no one knows how long it was or when she started displaying symptoms, she was living on her own and testing was not an option until she was 60 years old).

My dad's family was not large, and we have no connection to his extended family (they're all back in Holland). As it is, we barely have any connection with his immediate family. He is the oldest of four siblings. The second one has been tested and is free and clear, which means that his two children are fine. The third is the uncle that just died - he was unmarried and lived alone. The fourth is my Aunt, who refuses to be tested, and her five children live in uncertainty.

Huntington's has claimed my grandmother, my uncle, and soon, my father. Every day, I pray that that's where it stops in our family. Miracles can happen.