The picture that means SO MUCH

Sharon Gorrie treasures the time when her kids were healthy and without a care in the world

- MISHAAL KHAN

This photo, of my children Kerrie Ann, then five, and Robin, three, is one I’ll treasure forever. I have mixed emotions. It takes me back to a happier time, but it also reminds me of the struggles ahead.

Both Kerrie Ann and Robin were diagnosed with Huntington’s disease at 19 and 30, and it turned our world upside down.

Their dad, Ray, carried the gene that can cause it. He’d been tested after his mum had died from it. When I was first pregnant in 1978, we knew there was a 50% chance of Ray passing it on, but I just didn’t think it would impact us.

Shock discovery

In May 1979, Kerrie Ann was born, then Robin in 1981. Ray and I parted ways in 1983, and when Robin was 12, he was diagnosed with ADHD and autism. The years passed and Kerrie Ann was a happy girl, while Robin was reclusive, moving into his own place at 16. I did my best to support him, but he preferred to be alone.