Walk for Huntington’s
17 years ago, Dave and Susie Hodgson started the Walk for Huntington’s Disease. Dave and Susie have each lost spouses and children to the disease.
That’s why they formed the Illinois chapter of Team Hope, which is a national program by the Huntington’s Disease Society of America.
“We were trying to come up with something to do that would advocate for Huntington’s Disease, educate the public that knew nothing about it, and honor our spouses,” said Dave. “But we felt we had to go further, we had to honor all the HD families in Illinois.”
Huntington’s Disease Statistics
Every child of a person who has Huntington’s has a 50/50 chance of inheriting the mutated gene. Symptoms usually appear between 30 to 50 years old. There is no cure.
“Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, ALS. Throw that into a blender and what comes out is just the tip of the iceberg of what Huntington’s is,” said Dave.
Community Support
The couple has seen the walk grow over the years, but they know it happened with some help.
“We want people to know, it’s not Dave and I that have done this. It wouldn’t have happened without first, our committee and then the people that are affected by this disease,” said Susie. “If they didn’t turn out and support this walk, it wouldn’t have grown the way it has.” – Susie Hodgson
The first walk raised $20,000 for the Huntington’s Disease Society of America. This year’s in-person and virtual walk at the Grand Pavilion in Downtown Naperville has raised just over $61,000 so far.
Naperville News 17’s Aysha Ashley Househ reports.