125 www.rnca.ca Royal Newfoundland Constabulary Association Newfoundland man raises awareness for Huntington disease to help his wife (KITCHENER, ON) May 7, 2015 – Rich Wheeler’s wife, Ruby, has Huntington disease (HD). Every hour on the hour throughout his work day, Royal Newfoundland Constabulary Sergeant Rich Wheeler calls home to make sure his wife is OK. Ruby has Huntington disease (HD), a fatal hereditary disease that is slowly destroying parts of her brain. Right now the 50year-old can still manage on her own, but she is a little unsteady on her feet and has cut herself a few times chopping vegetables. So Rich worries. He calls. And whenever he can, he pops home at lunch to see how she is doing. The couple knew this day might come. Because Ruby’s dad had the disease, she and her siblings each faced a 50:50 chance of inheriting the fatal gene. As it turned out, Ruby lost that coin toss. These days, she has been forced to quit working. She and Rich wonder whether their 24-year-old son has inherited the gene. And they know that if he has children, Ruby probably will not be around to see them grow up. “We live one day at a time,” Rich says. They focus their energies on raising money to fund services for people with HD and to support research. “It is our hope that a cure is right around the corner,” says Rich. “It may be too late for Ruby, but it may help others who are at-risk.” Their first event — a four-kilometre walk in 2014 — raised close to $15,000. The previous year’s event was just as successful, and for 2015 they’re also organizing a climb up Gros Morne’s Killdevil Mountain. To boost awareness about HD, Rich launched a Facebook page called Ruby’s Corner. Mostly, he manages to stay philosophical about the curveballs life has thrown them. But when it comes to his son’s future, Rich has one hope: “I wish that pitcher called life would get a sore arm.” Itis our hope that a cure is right around the corner Their story and a lot of information about the disease is available through Ruby’s Corner on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/223298711169693/ MAY IS HUNTINGTON DISEASE AWARENESS MONTH By Kaija Hutteri, khutteri@huntingtonsociety.ca www.huntingtonsociety.ca “ ”
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