John Valentine watched his father deteriorate with the illness – but he refuses to let it beat him. Watching his father’s personality change was John Valentine’s first encounter with Huntington’s disease.

Mood swings, agitation and irritability were frequent manifestations of the disease which led to his death – and all the while, John knew there was a 50% chance he may also carry the gene himself.

In 2012, John’s doctor confirmed what he had suspected for years.

“My dad had quite bad depression,” he said. “He was quite jumpy, wasn’t great temperamentally and his moods were unpredictable. I’ve been lucky it’s not affecting me that way. I used to have a job in banking, but my illness made it difficult to deal with numbers, reading and writing – all the traditional skills you need for most jobs. My writing, balance and coordination are all not as good as they used to be when I was younger.”

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