When Tiffany's husband started showing symptoms of Huntington's Disease, they didn't know where to turn. Then they found the UC Davis HD Center of Excellence — and everything changed.
Twenty-four years ago, Tiffany's father-in-law called with news that would change everything. He had Huntington's Disease.
Tiffany shares her family's 24-year journey with Huntington's Disease and the UC Davis care team
"We knew nothing about it," Tiffany recalls. "I started researching, but it wasn't until 2005 that our journey really began."
That was the year her husband started showing symptoms at work. They made the decision to get him tested. The results set in motion a relationship that Tiffany says has been one of the defining pillars of their family's life — their connection to the UC Davis Huntington's Disease Care Team.
"Surrounded by People Who Understood"
Most families facing an HD diagnosis describe the same feeling in those early days: isolation. The sense that nobody in the medical system truly understands what you're going through.
Tiffany experienced the opposite.
"From the moment we connected with them, we were surrounded by people who understood what we were going through," she says. "They didn't just treat the medical side of Huntington's Disease. They cared about the whole journey."
Finding out the results was devastating. But the UC Davis team gave them hope from day one — sharing information on clinical trials they could participate in, making sure they were informed, and treating them with what Tiffany describes simply as "so much kindness."
Two Hours Each Way — And They Made It Worth It
The family had to travel two hours each way to reach their appointments in Sacramento.
"They always were respectful and grateful of our time and participation," Tiffany says.
That kind of acknowledgment — that the team understood what it cost this family just to show up — meant more than any clinical protocol ever could.
"We Knew We Were Not Alone"
For families living with HD, the emotional weight is as crushing as the physical reality of the disease. The not-knowing. The watching. The waiting.
What the UC Davis team gave Tiffany's family was something no prescription can provide.
"Knowing there is a place where we could ask questions, talk openly, and not feel alone made such a huge difference for us," she says. "It gave us guidance, reassurance, and the feeling that we had a team walking this path with us."
They understood not just the clinical side — the symptoms, the progression — but what the family was experiencing emotionally.
"That kind of compassion and understanding means more than words can really express."
Why Supporting UC Davis Matters
Living with Huntington's Disease is incredibly challenging. But Tiffany is clear about what the UC Davis team has meant to her family:
"Having a team like the one at UC Davis changes the journey. They bring knowledge, support, and hope to families who need it."
The UC Davis HD Center of Excellence — NVforHD's chosen cause for 2025 and 2026 — serves over 90 Northern Nevada families. It operates entirely on private donation. Without continued support, those families lose the only HD specialty clinic within reach.
"They are not just providing treatment," Tiffany says. "They're giving families understanding, connection, and a place where we know we're not alone."
NVforHD's annual charity golf tournament — May 29, 2026 at Gray's Crossing Golf Club, Truckee, CA — raises funds directly for the UC Davis HD Center of Excellence. Join us or donate →
