Bristol Walk to Help in Fight Against Huntington’s Disease [TOWNSQUARE SUNDAY]

The Huntington's Disease Society of America Massachusetts and Rhode Island Chapter is sponsoring a "Hope Walk" on Sunday, September 26 at 10 a.m. to raise awareness about this terrible disease.

Chapter organizer Kerrie Dupre said the walk will be held at Colt State Park off Route 114 in Bristol, Rhode Island.

Huntington's Disease is not as well known as something like cancer, but it can be fatal. The HDSA described it as a brain disorder that causes deterioration in a person’s physical, mental, and emotional abilities, usually during their prime working years, and currently has no cure.

According to the HDSA's website, Huntington's is known as a family disease because every child of a parent with HD has a 50-50 chance of inheriting the faulty gene. Today, there are approximately 41,000 symptomatic Americans and more than 200,000 at risk of inheriting the disease.

Since 2007, the Huntington's Disease Society of America has raised more than $20 million, with a goal of finding effective treatments to slow the progression of this terrible illness.

Kerrie Dupre said this week that she expects about 150 walkers to join in the Sept. 26 event, and participants from Southeastern Massachusetts are more than welcome.

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