In 1997 my ex-wife, and mother to my 6 children, Linda, was diagnosed with Huntington's Disease. This is a progressive incurable neurological condition which in my younger days was often called "St Vitus Dance". The sufferer slowly loses the ability to control their movements and are sometimes mistaken as drunks. This is not helped by the fact that as the disease progresses they cannot control their speech which becomes slurred. 

Over time this illness affects memory, calculation and judgement. Other symptoms are anxiety, irritability, temper outbursts and depression. Gradually they lose the ability to walk or look after themselves and eventually are unable to speak or communicate. Normally they are fully aware of what is happening to and around them.Their joints can stiffen until they are paralyzed. It can prove difficult to swollow without choking so a feeding tube has to be fitted .

As Huntingtons is a hereditary disease each child of the sufferer has a 50% chance of developing the disease and, of course, the same 50% chance of passing it onto their children. As Linda had no idea that her father had been a sufferer it was a shock when she was diagnosed. Imagine how upsetting it was for her when she realised she may have already passed this terrible illness to some of her children.