My husband, Chuck was diagnosed with Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease (CJD) on June 27, 2014. 

In December of 2013, Chuck began feeling dizzy/lightheaded, and had horrible insomnia and violent dreams at night. In January 2014, he started having numbness & tingling in his feet. I also noticed a slight change in his personality such as irritability, inability to handle stressful situations as well, and loss of interest in his usual hobbies, etc. These symptoms persisted steadily until late March/early April when he began forgetting things. In late April, it got bad enough that I convinced him to go to the Dr. and to take time off of work. His other symptoms at that time were: sensitivity to sound & light, muscle twitches/jerking, easily startled, profound fatigue, tremors, unsteadiness when walking, and forgetfulness. All of those symptoms persisted, as his memory continued to worsen. He developed hallucinations/delusions, and became confused. As the weeks and months passed, he gradually lost the ability to care for himself at all, and lost his ability to walk, and he became unable to even talk. He passed away on November 17, 2014.

Our daughters, Kaitlin & Olivia, were robbed of a father, and I, of my husband.  We were left devastated and heartbroken. 

CJD has three sub-types: Sporadic (unknown cause), Acquired (through contaminated meats, or medical instruments, etc), and Genetic. Chuck had the genetic type of CJD, as did his grandfather, Frank Pustek, and at least two cousins who have been confirmed to have had CJD. Chuck's mother, Diane, carries the gene that causes CJD, but thankfully, has not shown any symptoms. My daughters both have a 50/50 chance of carrying the gene that causes CJD. Through Strides for CJD we hope to help raise awareness and find a cure for this disease.

Please help us by participating in Strides for CJD, and/or donating to the cause. Every donation is greatly appreciated!

Thank you!

Pamela Fear