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Somebody Up There Likes Me: Living with the Threat of Huntington’s Disease
If you thought that unbreakable family curses only happened in fairy tales, think again.
Nobody really wants to know how they’re going to die. I certainly don’t, do you? But when you find out that an incurable disease is imprinted in your DNA, passed down through the generations, it leaves its mark.
This is my personal account of growing up in the shadow of Huntington’s Disease, a hereditary illness with no remission.
I wouldn’t wish Huntington’s on anyone, but its impact on my mother and my brother Nick has shaped my family over the years and taught me so much about courage and finding happiness against all the odds.
You also learn what’s truly important in life, which mostly boils down to love.
Nobody really wants to know how they’re going to die. I certainly don’t, do you? But when you find out that an incurable disease is imprinted in your DNA, passed down through the generations, it leaves its mark.
This is my personal account of growing up in the shadow of Huntington’s Disease, a hereditary illness with no remission.
I wouldn’t wish Huntington’s on anyone, but its impact on my mother and my brother Nick has shaped my family over the years and taught me so much about courage and finding happiness against all the odds.
You also learn what’s truly important in life, which mostly boils down to love.
Kindle Edition
Published July 6, 2021
21 people are currently reading
22 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 4, 2024
Trigger Warning Below
This subject is close to home for me as I come from a Huntington’s family I have Huntington disease I am asymptomatic at the moment this was a good book and good insight but sometimes the way things were described in the book made me cringe as it made the Author sound to nice I know that was probably not what was intended but it was off putting
Trigger Warning If you have been recently diagnosed don’t read this book
This subject is close to home for me as I come from a Huntington’s family I have Huntington disease I am asymptomatic at the moment this was a good book and good insight but sometimes the way things were described in the book made me cringe as it made the Author sound to nice I know that was probably not what was intended but it was off putting
Trigger Warning If you have been recently diagnosed don’t read this book
January 8, 2024
heartbreaking, heartwarming, unbelievably sad yet interlaced with humour.
It normally takes me about a week of bedtime reading to finish a book but I read this in a day.
Such a sad roulette wheel disease, this book is written with honesty and overwhelming love for her fiercely brave brother, no flowery words here just the open truth of the hell of living with Huntingtons made harder by the lack of knowledgeable support and understanding of both the disease and the needs of carers.
It normally takes me about a week of bedtime reading to finish a book but I read this in a day.
Such a sad roulette wheel disease, this book is written with honesty and overwhelming love for her fiercely brave brother, no flowery words here just the open truth of the hell of living with Huntingtons made harder by the lack of knowledgeable support and understanding of both the disease and the needs of carers.
September 6, 2024
That was emotional! I recognised so many similarities to my own life in this book. My mum had HD and we’ve lost so many loved ones over the years, and continue to watch family members fight.
The love between the author and her brother was so lovely to read. Thank you Melanie Pearson for sharing your story.
** I wouldn’t recommend this for anyone newly diagnosed with HD **
The love between the author and her brother was so lovely to read. Thank you Melanie Pearson for sharing your story.
** I wouldn’t recommend this for anyone newly diagnosed with HD **
July 4, 2023
Great read
October 1, 2023
Very interesting book
Read this book with interest. I'm glad the author has bought this horrible and cruel disease peoples attention. Thank you.
Read this book with interest. I'm glad the author has bought this horrible and cruel disease peoples attention. Thank you.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews