Why My Wife Had to Die

Huntingtons disease is a genetic condition that causes physical and mental deterioration, with a 1:2 chance of inheritance. Brian Verity married a woman who showed signs of the disease, but he was repelled by his own psychological fragility and inability to cope. Stephen Games, who edited the book, is available to discuss the raw issues raised by the author.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 204 pages
Publication date: 03 March 2022
Publisher: EnvelopeBooks

The horrifying reality is that Huntington's disease causes physical and mental decline, with no known cure. It is genetically inherited, with a 1:2 chance of inheritance that cannot be determined until the disease manifests itself, often not until the sufferer is in their 40s. Many individuals are unaware of their genetic predisposition or the risk of passing it on to their children. Those who are aware, due to a parent's suffering, may wait their entire lives to determine if they are safe or not. The prospects are bleak. After his first marriage ended in divorce, Brian Verity experienced a breakdown and married the woman who nursed him back to health. Within a few years, she began displaying symptoms of Huntington's disease that he had observed in other family members, causing him to develop a morbid fear. Having fallen in love with her while in the hospital, he now found himself repelled by his own psychological fragility and inability to cope, yet committed to protecting her from the impending distress. In his eyes, assisted dying was her sole option. Was he correct? Stephen Games, the book's editor, had contact with Brian Verity in the year before his passing and is available to discuss the raw issues raised by the author and the broader context of the book.

Weight: 222g
Dimension: 203 x 127 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781915023032