Living with Huntington's Disease

Jody Abbott was a thriving professional drummer for a band many will remember fondly from the 90’s--Fuel. Married with 2 children, Jody’s health rapidly declined from performer to patient as he learned he had the fatal genetic disease called Huntington’s.

Never heard of it? Not many have.

Huntington’s Disease causes the progressive breakdown of nerve cells in the brain. It deteriorates a person’s physical and mental abilities during their prime working years and has NO CURE. Imagine having ALS, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s--simultaneously--which includes progressive motor dysfunction, behavior disturbances and cognitive decline. Simply put, it’s a nightmare for both the person and the family.

Perhaps the most tragic part of Huntington’s is that families are strapped with exorbitant living and treatment costs--all out of pocket. Not only are you dealing with a horrific disease with no cure, at some point, loved ones can no longer stay at home and need constant care in a facility.

Over the past few years, Jody’s wife Amy has advocated tirelessly, fundraising for the Memphis, TN chapter of the Huntington’s Disease Society of America where her team raised over $22K in just this past year (2021) to support the mission and services. Now, she needs your help.

In 2020 The Abbotts spent $56K for Apple Grove (excluding medical). Monthly, the cost is

$300 for various medical interventions and room cost will soon increase to $5,700. And since HD can cause mental agitation, including physical disruptions where patients must be removed from the facility, the cost for removal and readmittance is $3K (which has already happened twice resulting in an additional cost of $6K in 2021).

The out of pocket costs for Jody are exorbitant and money raised will go directly to Apple Grove Living for Alzheimer’s and Dementia residents (https://applegroveliving.com/) where Jody, age 55, will stay for the rest of his life.

Please consider a donation to support Jody as his family navigates his continuous care during this debilitating, NO CURE, fatal disease.

In love and faith,

Friends of The Abbott family