Because of the divorce, Robert Bishop turned over his guardianship rights to his mother-in-law. He no longer officially has say over what becomes of Amy.

He has started a foundation, called the CureHD Foundation, which attempts to educate people about the disease and raise money to support the research of Nancy Wexler's Hereditary Disease Foundation and the Huntington Disease Society of America. The two groups have prominent scientists who are doing most of the research into the disease.

He's created a Web site, http://www.curehd.org, and spends a large portion of his time disseminating information about Huntington's, keeping abreast of the latest research, trying to think of ways to get more research done.

He is convinced that if he could go on the Oprah Winfrey show, with its audience numbering in the millions, he could tell his story and people would care. Something would happen then, he thinks. Right now, most people have never heard of Huntington's. They don't know how devastating it is for families.

And if a cure isn't found, Robert Bishop believes he will watch some of his children suffer the same fate as their grandfather and their aunt and their mother.

He'd rather die himself than see that.

So Robert and Lael made many different choices. And they are too close to see it, but Robert is perhaps the only person in her world who really understands the depths of Lael's nightmare. And only she can understand the fear — and the rage — he feels for his children's future.

· · · · ·

Perhaps some odd cosmic equation explains Julie Askew's cheery disposition.

She is, without question, the most physically devastated of the Askews at this point. She uses a wheelchair all the time. John can walk, albeit jerkily. Amy is still very mobile, though her physical decline seems to be accelerating.