"Reaching out for Judy" Huntingtons

Dear Friends,

We are reaching out to you, in the hopes we may rally around Judy Campbell and her family with her life altering battle with Huntington’s Disease. 

Huntington’s disease (HD) is a fatal genetic disorder that causes the progressive breakdown of nerve cells in the brain. It deteriorates a person’s physical and mental abilities during their prime working years and has no cure. HD is known as the quintessential family disease because every child of a parent with HD has a 50/50 chance of carrying the faulty gene.

Symptoms Include:

*  Personality changes, mood swings & depression
*  Forgetfulness & impaired judgment
*  Unsteady gait & involuntary movements (chorea)
*  Slurred speech, difficulty in swallowing &  significant weight loss

In the community, lack of knowledge about HD may keep friends and neighbors from offering social and emotional support to the family, fostering unnecessary isolation.

Many describe the symptoms of HD as having ALS, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s – simultaneously.

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Judy is a wife and mother to 3 young men.  Since being diagnosed at the age of 43 and battling this disease with her husband and boys for 15 years, ( Judy was symptomatic 5 years prior diagnosis) finally it came down to a painful decision.  Judy needed fulltime care which could no longer be provided at home. 

Judy comes from a family of 11 siblings, 4 of whom has since inherited the dominant gene from their father. One brother has since passed away, and her younger 42 year old sister is now afflicted and in a continuing care facility as well.    

This campaign is to rally around Judy and her family to ease the financial burden as well as facilitate the best quality of life possible.  We hope to renovate her family home in a way that she may be able to come home on day passes and have her house accessible with an elevator lift, wheelchair accessible washroom renovations, and safety features installed throughout.

We have a financial goal of 20,000.00 ( to start until all quotes are in) for the renovations, but surplus donations would certainly assist with unforeseen medical bills, financial assistance for her husband Darrell (her primary care giver) to offset the cost for lost time from work as well medical assistance for their youngest son who has Autism.  We wish to provide Judy with a quality of life she so deserves. 

We humbly ask for your help.  No donation is too small! All proceeds from this event will be used to assist the family in their struggle at this very difficult time.

http://www.capebretonpost.com/news/local/2017/4/26/huntington-disease-takes-its-toll-on-glace-bay-family.html