By Alan Shope
LIBERTY, Mo. — For a Liberty woman, a family diagnosis has become a 10-year fight to find a cure.
"It's kind of like having ALS, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's all at the same time," said Julie Struble, co-chair of Team Hope Walk.
Struble's husband was diagnosed with Huntington's disease in 2004. It is a neurological disease that affects more than 41,000 Americans.
"Every child born to a parent with Huntington's disease has a 50-50 chance of also inheriting the disease," Struble said.
That's why she started Liberty's Team Hope Walk, which is one of the most popular 5K walks in the area, to raise money to fight the disease.
"There's no treatment. There's no cure. There's nothing that can stop or slow down the progression," she said.
Struble said the best defense in the fight is research, dedication and hope.
The Liberty Team Hope Walk is on Saturday at 9 a.m. at the Liberty Community Center. The event features a pancake breakfast and a live auction. The goal is to raise $62,000. Walkers do not need to preregister for the walk. Organizers said anyone interested can show up, sign up and walk.