WV Team Hope Walk for Huntington’s disease set in Barbour
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PHILIPPI -- The third annual West Virginia Team Hope Walk for Huntington's disease will take place Sunday at the Barbour County Fairgrounds.
The walk, which will get underway at 3 p.m. at the Fairgrounds' new stage, will feature a host of additional activities, including a silent auction as well as games and activities for both adults and children.
"This will be our third year for the walk," event organizer Carla Rogers told The Inter-Mountain Wednesday. "I started it in 2022 and each one has been at the fairgrounds. The attendance at the previous two could have been better for us and we are hoping for more people this time around. We have had some good donations for the walk the past two years."
Huntington's disease is a genetic condition that affects the cells in a person's brain. It's a progressive condition that gets worse over time. Common symptoms affect movement, thoughts and feelings. Symptoms usually start between the ages of 30 and 50 years old.
"A lot of people don't know what Huntington's is because it's a very rare disease," Rogers said. "It runs in my family and I actually have Huntington's. I'm good right now, but my mom is struggling with it.
"It's genetic and you have a 50/50 chance of getting it. It's really a sad, sad disease, and it's kind of like Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's put together."
Rogers said the walk is a way to bring people together and help educate the public about Huntington's disease.
"We are just trying to raise awareness and let people know they don't have to hide if they have this disease," Rogers said. "It used to be an embarrassment for a lot of people and they didn't want to be around others because of all the movements associated with the disease.
"We want to make people understand that there is nothing to be embarrassed about, you just have to take the bull by the horns and live day by day."
Rogers said she has been working alongside the Huntington's Disease Society of America (HDSA) to put the walks together, and that the organization was doing wonders in combating the disease.
"I've worked with them (HDSA) for several years prior to setting up the walk," Rogers said. "They are a wonderful organization to work with and they are making strides beyond measures. When my grandfather had (Huntington's) there was nothing at all to help him, but now there is help and hope because the medications are getting better and they are learning so much more about the disease."
For more information about the walk, contact Rogers at 304-677-4812. To register for the walk online, go to HDSA.org/THWWV.