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Huntington's Dance

Thursday, January 18 2007 | Send to a friend

Huntington's Dance

Chris Furbee with his mother, Rosemary Shockey

Huntington's Disease is passed down through families. Everyone who gets it knows the disease intimately from watching someone they love suffer from it.

Chris Furbee was a child when he first noticed his grandfather was moving around strangely, twitching and failing his arms. Eventually, his mom started to show the same symptoms.

Rosemary with Huntington's

For years, both Chris and his mother tried to ignore the disease. His mother flat out refused to admit she had Huntington's. Chris isolated himself on the other side of the country while she steadily declined.

Now that Chris knows he has the disease, he has vowed to handle it differently-not with denial, but with acceptance, and a measure of grace. He is making a film about his experience called "Huntington's Dance."

Chris Furbee

• Learn more about Chris, his family's experience with Huntington's Disease, and his film
  
• Find out more about Huntington's Disease

Music in the show is September Reel, by Chris' uncle, Mike Furbee.