2020 Postcard from Palm Springs
Highlights from the 2020 CHDI HD Therapeutics Conference are now here! This year’s Postcard covers HTT-lowering therapeutics, including an
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Doug Mallock – Past YPAHD President – NB
When did you first become involved in volunteering with the Huntington Society of Canada (HSC)? Why did you decide to do so?
I first became involved in volunteering with the Huntington Society of Canada back in the fall of 2011. I was nudged ever so gently by Devin Bonner (former Manager, Chapter Development) to attend YPAHD day in Toronto that year. After attending, I knew it was something special and I never looked back.
What does it mean to you to be a volunteer?
I have been extremely blessed to be able to be part of the HSC community over the past decade or so of my life. It has helped me through many challenges in my own life over the past several years. Knowing I’ve been able to make a difference in other people’s lives and support them as well has also meant so much to me.
Can you describe the specific events or campaigns you have helped?
I’ve been involved with YPAHD in some form or another for the past 10 years. The various events/activities we have put on include:
- Regional YPAHD days we implemented on “off conference” years for youth to better connect in person on an annual basis
- YPAHD Days in conjunction with conferences
- Being part of the first group of volunteers making up the Youth Mentorship Program
- Travelling down to California/Washington over the course of several summers to volunteer at the HDYO Youth Camps
What have been some of the benefits of volunteering?
Volunteering has allowed me to connect with people and form life-long connections I would have never expected to forge when I was younger. I have developed relationships with people who understand the struggles associated with Huntington disease (HD) and have grown up in a world that many around us do not even notice on a day-to-day basis. Volunteering has developed my ability to be vulnerable with people, and has allowed me to see the impact that can have on others, making their own struggles seem not so out of the ordinary.
Have there been any memorable/funny highlights from your time volunteering?
Some of my fondest memories have been with my good friend and mentor Jacky Skinner, including the many nights we spent reminiscing, talking, planning and figuring out our plans for YPAHD’s future as well as our own futures. I’m so excited to have been able to lead YPAHD over the past several years, and I’m even more excited to see where it goes now that it is in the capable hands of another amazingly gifted friend, Caleb Harding.
Do you have a message for the Huntington disease community, or to someone considering volunteering for the cause?
There is a place in our HD community for anyone who is looking for one. If someone had told me back when I was in university that some of my fondest memories of my young adult life would be volunteering and spending time with others struggling with HD, I would not have believed them. My time with the HSC and HD community has filled a void in my life I didn’t even know existed. Thank you to everyone who puts time, energy and dedication into fighting this fight together!
