Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of illness and death.

Huntington’s Disease is an inherited disorder that causes a gradual decline in both cognition and the body’s ability to move normally. It is caused by a genetic mutation passed down from parent to child. When one parent has the gene that causes Huntington’s Disease, each of their children has a 50 percent chance of inheriting the mutation. The disease causes nerve cells (neurons) in certain areas of the brain to gradually stop functioning and eventually die. It primarily attacks parts of the brain that control voluntary movement, although there are typically other areas of brain function that are also affected. 

Individuals living with Huntington’s Disease develop uncontrollable movements called “chorea” that often resemble dance. They also struggle with uncontrollable, abnormal body postures, behavioral abnormalities, and impaired cognition, speech, and affect. The hand spasms that Julian experiences are a classic, early sign of Huntington’s Disease and are often the first kind of chorea that develops in individuals experiencing the disorder. Other early symptoms include clumsiness, issues with balance, and trouble walking or moving normally. Some Huntington’s patients experience a painful, uncontrollable rigidity instead of chorea and have fixed postures called dystonia.