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But each day, Huntington's Disease whittles away at Christina Diane Jenkinson, 24. Connie Jenkinson, Christina's mother, hopes to raise public awareness of the terminal neurological disease that is affecting her daughter's ability to walk, talk and have a normal life.

What will never change is Christina's caring heart, though of late the words and stares of unkind strangers have broken it.

"The disease has affected how she walks; she leans back," said Connie of Lapeer. "She has a difficult time speaking. People think she is drunk or stoned. Some people imitate her or laugh. It hurts. Big tears run down her cheeks. She didn't ask for this. She wanted to be a school teacher and have 12 kids."

While growing up as a running and laughing young girl, and all throughout high school, no one suspected Christina would one day have to battle the inherited disease that would kill her father.

Connie was married to Christina's father, Russell Elrod, for five years and the two, who met in high school, were together for a decade. The couple had two children, Christina, born in 1983, and a son Brian Jenkinson, born in 1985.

"Russell was a football player; he hunted and he skied," said Connie. "Sometimes he would stumble, but everyone just figured he was clumsy."

The couple's marriage ended, but not their friendship. Each remarried and Russell remained a good father to his children.

Russell began to show symptoms of the illness which was misdiagnosed as a palsy-type illness.

"He knew something was going on and he needed to prepare," said Connie. "It was a mutual thing. He and his second wife agreed that Jerome should adopt the children and give him his name. He adopted them in 1992, when Christina was 9."

Russell became sicker, but because of the misdiagnosis, the family didn't know to watch for subtle symptoms in Christina.

"I saw changes in her penmanship in high school," said Connie. "I sometimes looked into her eyes and saw her father."

Russell died in March 2003 at the age of 43. He donated his brain to the University of Michigan, and that's when his disease was first discovered.

Christina was in her first semester at Lake Superior State University when she began to have seizures. In August, 2002, she went on a medical leave from school.

"We thought maybe it was stress related," said Connie. "We followed through with testing and found out what was wrong. I'll never forget the doctor walking in and saying it is Huntington's Disease. He said it's a terminal disease, hereditary and has no cure."

Huntington's is a familial disease, passed from parent to child through a mutation in a normal gene. Each child of a Huntington's Disease parent has a 50% chance of inheriting the gene. If a child doesn't inherit the gene, he or she will not develop the disorder and cannot pass it to subsequent generations.

Brian, now 22, is working and engaged to be married. He has a young daughter that was born before anyone knew of Christina's sickness. He is showing no symptoms, and has chosen not to be tested for the affliction.

"He doesn't want to know," said Connie. "I don't want to know."

The family hopes to raise money for Huntington's Disease research and to raise public awareness.

Connie and Jerome and friends are planning a 5-9 p.m. Feb. 23 spaghetti dinner fund raiser at the Elba Township Hall on Lippincott Road. At will donations will be accepted at the door, and contributions for a silent auction are welcome. Phone Connie at (810) 338-4887 or (810) 667-3060 for information.

Susan Younger may be reached at (810) 664-0811, Ext. 8122 or susan.younger@lapeergroup.com