Woman, 20, Shares How She Balances Love and Pain After Mom’s Heartbreaking Terminal Disease Changed Their Relationship (Exclusive)

### Daughter of Huntington’s Disease Patient Shares Heartbreaking Journey of Love and Loss

Mariana Price, 20, reflects on her tumultuous relationship with her mother, Sara Spalding, revealing the profound pain intertwined with love as they navigated the devastating effects of Huntington’s disease. Price describes her mother as once being her best friend, the central figure of her childhood, and the embodiment of warmth and support.

Spalding, who studied at Yale Law School and had a successful career, chose to dedicate herself to her family, raising four children while instilling a love for education and the outdoors in them. “She took immense pride in being our mother,” Price tells PEOPLE. “Everyone who knew her could see that she put her children above all else.”

However, the family’s world turned upside down when, in 2016, Spalding received her diagnosis of Huntington’s disease when Price was just nine years old. This genetic condition, which leads to the progressive degeneration of nerve cells in the brain, brought unwelcomed challenges that would strain the once-tight mother-daughter bond.

Recalling her childhood, Price highlights her mother’s role as a beacon of safety and joy. The young Mariana, diagnosed with dyslexia, benefited greatly from her mother’s patience and efforts to teach her how to read. “I was quite the difficult student,” Mariana remembers, “but my mum never made me feel deficient.”

The diagnosis of Huntington’s disease brought about a cruel irony: the disease began to alter Spalding’s personality, leading to emotional and relational strain. Price struggled to reconcile her memories of the loving mother she had once known with the individual her mother became due to the illness. “I felt a profound sense of loss,” says Mariana. “It was heart-wrenching watching my mum become someone I didn’t recognise.”

The disease marked a shift that eventually led to her parents’ divorce, despite Spalding’s continuing love for her children. As the situation at home deteriorated, the then-11-year-old Mariana moved in with her father, leading to years characterised by supervised visits, court-ordered therapy, and attempts to salvage a relationship that was becoming increasingly unrecognisable.

The emotional conflict intensified as Price grappled with anger and confusion over her mother’s actions, which were dictated by the disease’s cruel progression. “I couldn’t understand how the person I loved could cause so much pain,” she recalls, desiring an apology she knew would never come. By the time she turned 16, the situation had rapidly deteriorated, with Spalding requiring full-time nursing care.

Carrying the weight of this emotional turmoil, Price made the decision to undergo genetic testing, knowing that she might mirror her mother’s fate. In the summer following her high school graduation in 2024, she discovered she carried the gene mutation linked to Huntington’s disease, a revelation that would deeply impact her life.

Despite her tumultuous feelings, Mariana opted to reconnect with her mother, coming to terms with the neurological realities of Spalding’s condition. “Differentiating my mum from the disease is not straightforward,” she admits. “I struggle to know where her true self ends and Huntington’s disease begins.”

However, Price understands that forgiving her mother does not mean condoning the hurt inflicted over the past years. “It’s complicated,” she explains. “I felt like by forgiving her, I was also letting go of the pain. But acknowledging my anger was necessary for my healing.”

As she works towards healing, Price reflects on the lessons learned about closure and forgiveness. Although she never received an apology, she chose to move forward for herself, realising that holding onto anger was detrimental. “I had to forgive myself as well. Leaving my mum felt wrong, especially now that I recognise how much she was struggling,” she says.

Throughout her journey, a network of family, friends, and mentors provided invaluable support during her most difficult moments. “In the past, my mum was my rock. Losing that was devastating, but there were others who stepped in, and I am grateful for that,” Price acknowledges.

Today, Mariana is an emergency medical technician (EMT), a female Eagle Scout, and she is finalising her nursing qualification. In sharing her story, she aims to raise awareness around Huntington’s disease, while also rebuilding her relationship with her mother. She has a hard-hitting message for others struggling with similar issues: “Loving someone and witnessing their decline is incredibly painful. Each visit shows how far my mum has slipped away.”

Ultimately, Price seeks to keep alive the memory of the mother who showed her infinite love and dedication long before Huntington’s disease took hold. “Everyone carries their invisible burdens, and that’s why we must approach life with empathy. My mum’s not perfect. I’m not, either. But there’s immense strength and peace in forgiving.”