Grace, dignity, strength,
faith, hope and love of family…

These are the thoughts that come to mind when I think of my friend, Ramona, of 40 years. Ramona and I met in high school. She was full of life, smart, funny, always cheerful and she had a contagious, signature laugh! 

Our friendship continued post high school, as we both began taking classes together to become educators. For a year of college, we spent about an hour, daily, commuting to North County to work as teachers’ aides. During those daily rides, we talked about anything and everything, but what I remember most was Ramona’s stories of love for her mom, dad, siblings, and extended family. They were her lifelines, her joy in life and she loved them fiercely. Post college, again our lives crossed paths, as we became neighbors, not once but twice, in two different neighborhoods. We began our families and Ramona again, entered this time of her life eagerly, with a passion and great love for the people in it, especially her babies. Her children and husband, family and friends were everything to her.

Ramona daily perseveres through her 11th year of hospitalization for Huntington’s Disease; a most devastatingly incapacitating disease, which renders her unable to speak, sit up on her own, eat or care for herself to any degree. Our hearts have broken more and more over the years as we have watched this disease slowly rob our sweet friend of so much. It is love for her incredible husband and children that keeps her fighting. It is hope for a cure that keeps her fighting, strength in character that keeps her fighting, and grace and dignity that provide unfailing, inspiration for all who know her as she lives with this horrid disease, day after day. It is with a fervent hope for a cure, that I desire to participate in this half marathon! WE MUST find an end for this dreaded disease and stop the devastation it renders in the lives of beautiful people like Ramona and their loved ones.  Please donate to find a cure for HD so that the pain and heartache of this dreadful disease STOPS with this generation. Tax ID-13-3349872 Your support means the world to our team!