Case study: Sandra recalls fateful moment of realisation on golf course

The first inkling Sandra Strachan,70, had that something wasn’t quite right was when she was playing golf with her friends and noticed she wasn’t performing at her best.

“My friends noticed too and I also felt as if I was walking to the side all the time, which made me feel self-conscious,” Sandra, who lives in Forfar, explains.

“Shortly after that I went to the doctor, who referred me to a neurologist.”

An MRI scan followed and Sandra found it very difficult to lie still – she would soon find out this is a symptom of Huntington’s.

Earlier this year blood and DNA tests confirmed she had the rogue gene for Huntington’s, inherited from one of her parents.

Sandra is keen to get the word out and raise awareness about this rare terminal condition and the severity of its symptoms.

“Huntington’s disease is very different from any other because, being genetic, it affects the whole family,” she explains.

“I was left feeling very isolated because my family had to go through months of counselling before my grandchildren could be told that granny had the conditions.

“It was hard keeping my Huntington’s bracelet hidden.

“I want people to know that it’s just as devastating to my family as cancer or dementia because of the genetic link and because at the moment, there is no cure.

“I didn’t ask to get Huntington’s but if I can increase awareness of the condition and help raise vital funds, then some good will have come out of it.”

Picture: Paul Reid. Sandra Strachan wants to make people more aware of Huntingdon’s Disease.