To the Editor:

The New York State Legislature recently passed a resolution designating May as Huntington’s Disease Awareness Month in New York State.

Huntington’s disease is a fatal genetic disorder that causes the progressive breakdown of nerve cells in the brain that deteriorates a person’s physical and mental abilities during their prime working years. Every child of a parent with Huntington’s disease has a 50-percent chance of inheriting the faulty gene that causes Huntington’s disease.

There is currently no cure. The symptoms of Huntington’s disease have been described as having amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s — simultaneously.

We would like to invite you to join the Huntington’s Disease Society of America’s Albany Chapter in turning up the volume on Huntington’s disease awareness this month in our region, from Kingston to Plattsburgh to Utica.

The mission of HDSA is to improve the lives of everyone affected by Huntington’s disease. Our chapter focuses on providing education and support services to those in our region living with Huntington’s disease and their families and caregivers, advocacy on a state and local level, and helping to fund groundbreaking research.

This month especially, we are aiming to increase awareness of Huntington’s disease throughout our region. The Albany Chapter of HDSA has amazing events coming up, including the Fishy Frolic run and walk in August and attendance at the HDSA National Convention in Boston this June.

Please join us in spreading the word about Huntington’s Disease Awareness Month. For more information about HD go to #LetsTalkAboutHD or contact us at www.albany.hdsa.org.

Marcella Junco

President

HDSA Albany Chapter