2nd
Annual San Francisco Huntington's Disease Society of America's Celebration of
Hope Dinner
 Thu. Aug. 28, 2008, 6pm
San Francisco
Marine's Memorial Club & Hotel
609 Sutter St, San Francisco, CA 94102
6:00pm Cocktails & Silent Auction
7:15pm Dinner, Live Auction & Program
A warm and personal evening created to present HDSA Distinguished Leadership
Awards to honored guests in the areas of business, medicine, and philanthropy
and benefiting Huntington's research and family programs.
Event Details: http://www.hdsanortherncalifornia.org/celebration/celebration.htm
 Honorees
at this years dinner will be Cesar Plata, Founder of infoBayArea.com,
for his ongoing efforts to promote and grow local businesses , and Dr. Steven
Finkbeiner, Gladstone Institute HD Researcher. Please join us and support this
amazing organization!
Penny Riley
HDSA Regional Development Director
Northern and Central CA - Northern NV
2860 Gateway Oaks Dr. #300, Sacramento, CA. 95833
plriley@sundt.com
916 927-4400, 916 830-8015 Fax
www.hdsanortherncalifornia.org
What is Huntington's Disease?
Huntington’s Disease
(HD) is a hereditary neurological brain disorder that
slowly robs the affected individual of the ability to walk, talk, think and
reason. HD affects over 30,000 Americans and places more than 200,000 “at-risk” for
developing the disorder. In Northern California it is estimated at
least 1,000 individuals are affected with more than an additional 7,000 at risk.
Persons
with HD develop symptoms which include slurred speech, unsteady gait and handwriting,
leading to uncontrollable body movements and eventual loss of mental facilities.
Personality changes and depression often accompany the physical changes.
Every
child of an affected parent has a 50% chance of inheriting the HD gene, which
is located on chromosome four. Although it usually affects adults between the
ages 30 and 45, symptoms can appear in young children and older adults.
The course
of illness usually appears in three stages. In the early stages of
the disease, manifestations include subtle changes in coordination,
sometimes minor involuntary movements, difficulty thinking and reasoning,
and often a depressed mood, anxiety or irritability.
In the middle stages, chorea
movements may become more prominent.
People start having difficulty swallowing and speaking clearly.
Late stage disease
is characterized by immobility and requires major
assistance in all activities of daily living.
Currently there is no known cure
for HD. Current treatment is aimed only at controlling the symptoms
of the disease. However, amazing progress is
being made in the research fields of genetics and neurodegenerative
disorders. Our scientists tell us that each day we grow closer to solving the
HD puzzle and the future has never been more promising. With financial
support, the Huntington’s Disease Society of America can increase the pace
of HD research, fund more researchers and speed the identification of
effective therapies that will improve the lives of those affected by the disease.
It
is important to remember that funding for this disease is actually funding for
all neurological diseases including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
Because HD is the farthest along in neurological disease in regards to finding
a cure, its research and successes directly benefit the progression of research
in all the neurological diseases. Research is the only way we will ever find
a cure for HD.
What is HDSA?
Huntington's Disease Society of America (HDSA) is a national
non-profit organization dedicated to finding a cure for Huntington's Disease
(HD) while providing support and services for those living with HD and their
families. HDSA promotes and supports both clinical and basic HD research, aids
families in coping with the multi-faceted problems presented by HD and educates
the families, the public and health care professionals about Huntington's Disease.
HDSA Northern California is your local HDSA chapter
serving the entire Northern California and Northern Nevada regions. Located in
West Sacramento, HDSA Northern California serves approximately 1,000 families
and organizations in our HD community.
Some of the many services that HDSA Northern
California provides to the local HD community include:
• Advocacy
• Education and Nursing Home In-services
• Information and Referrals
• Social Worker Assistance
• Research Funding
• Support Groups
• Toll Free Support Line.
HDSA Northern California also hosts an annual convention and produces The Nucleus,
the HDSA Northern California Newsletter.
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