People are asked for money for so many worthwhile causes, each plea tells a story of poverty, depravation, starvation, homelessness and disease requiring funding to help ameliorate those situations.  Over the years people have given generously to support those causes they feel strongly about.  Some charities and foundations receive large donations, including government/charitable grants and great strides have been made in the research and in some cases the eradication of diseases.

A branch of the HDA organisation does exist in a number of countries and they support where possible known sufferers.  So why another foundation/charity.

Both Daniel and myself, simultaneously came up with the idea to create this charity/foundation in memory of his mother and perhaps in the longer term himself, as a legacy to help others

The individuals running this foundation are volunteers.  No money received by ADDOR will be paid to any of the charity's Trustees. The operating costs which consist of expenses for the website, stationery and postal charges are covered by donations from the trustees, all other donations received will be used to fund research and help HD sufferers.

This charity/foundation aims to provide support in four areas:

There can be no certainty but with the ongoing research, the increased knowledge and manipulation of gene structures, I believe that in the future medical procedures or medicines will be developed that either, controls the progress of this disease, suppresses the defective gene from triggering the onset of Huntington’s or even eradicates this horrendous disease for future generations.
What we need to do at this time, is not only support the ongoing work in the field but also to help, existing sufferers and their families. HD blights families.

Milton Wexler an eminent Psychoanalyst, whose wife (Leonore) suffered from HD, in an interview with CBS News said “in his opinion it’s the most terrifying disease on earth, nothing can match it”.  When asked why? He replied “because it means the decay of the body, the loss of control of the body and absolute certain dementia.  It means you are going to lose your identity, your sense of self, your feelings about yourself, your memories and your thoughts. It’s a total disaster. It’s like Cancer and Alzheimer’s put together”.
There are many photographs available of other HD sufferers, I feel for the dignity and privacy of these lovely people, that they should not be shown on this website.

If you want to understand more about this particular disease, just trawl the internet, look under Huntington’s disease or Nancy Wexler (daughter of Milton & Leonore), who does tremendous work in the HD field, there is dearth of information readily available.  If you go to youtube.com you will find videos provided by medical staff and families of sufferers. I have listed a few I have watched and shed a tear for these families and in memory of Anne.  If you do watch them it may help in persuading you to support this cause. Please click the image below to watch the videos.

I am asking for money, like so many other worthwhile charities and yes it would be good if that generosity was regularly forthcoming, but first and foremost money is needed to get the foundation/charity fully established.

You will be helping, not only those with a living death of unbelievable cruelty, but also their families and the dedicated researchers.
So please give what you can, I am donating myself on a regular basis. Anyway I can help others with this disease and their loved ones, I will do so.
 
I thank those of you who have taken the time and visited the ADDOR website. I hope you will donate and I profusely thank those of you who do, to help Huntington sufferers, their families and future research.

Some of the text/photographs and graphics in this website have been taken from other articles/documents/reports. I do not believe and hope I have not infringed any copyrights.  If I have please excuse my unintentional error and look favourably on this plea for a worthwhile cause.  If you feel there is some part of the website which is unacceptable from a copyright standpoint, please advise me and I will remove it.

Thomas F O’Reilly - Trustee