Huntington’s disease: I’m taking a test that will reveal my future

Eighteen years ago, Danielle’s mum, Lisa, started having aggressive outbursts, stumbling a lot and feeling anxious. She’s now in the late stages of Huntington’s disease and requires full-time care.

Huntington’s disease is caused by a faulty gene that causes parts of the brain to become damaged over time. Because her mum has the disease, Danielle and her sister, Sophie, each have a 50% chance of developing the condition.

Lisa didn’t know there was a history of Huntington’s disease in her family until she started experiencing symptoms. But if you do know there’s Huntington’s in your family, you can have a test from the age of 18 to see if you’ll also get it.

Sophie said no to the test. But Danielle wants to know.

This is her journey of finding out what route her life will take.

If you are affected by anything in this film, you can get advice and information on Huntington’s disease here.

Produced and filmed by : Alice Wright and Tom Beal

Executive Producer: Rob Brown

Commissioning Editor: Nisha Lilia Diu

Source