By Jason Hackett
OKLAHOMA CITY —Imagine having amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, called ALS, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s – all at the same time.
That’s how some Oklahomans with Huntington’s disease describe dealing with the devastating brain disease.
Huntington’s disease advocates are having an upcoming walk to raise money for increased awareness.
“It can affect memory, it can affect behavior, it can affect personality, it can affect movement,” said Andrea Garrett, Oklahoma president for the Huntington's Disease Society of America.
Huntington’s disease is a brain disorder passed down in families from generation to generation.
About 41,000 Americans have symptoms of the disease and 200,000 are at risk of inheriting it.
“Any child of a person that is positive with the gene has a 50% chance of getting it,” Garrett said.
Right now, there’s no cure – and treatment is tough.
“Part of the difficult part of treating it is that something may work for only a period of time before it progressively gets worse,” she said.
The Oklahoma Chapter of the Huntington's Disease Society of America is having its team walk Sunday at 1 p.m. at Bluff Creek Park.