Wisconsin sophomore forward Jake Dowell and his family will appear tonight on CBS Evening News during a piece on genetic testing and the inheritance of genetic diseases. Dowell's father, John, was diagnosed with Huntington's disease in 2002. Huntington's is a fatal genetic brain disorder that causes a steady decline of mental and physical ability.
The gene is present in just one of every 10,000 Americans and was discovered in 1993. However, every person who has the gene develops the disease. Doctors have yet to find a cure.
Children of a person with the Huntington's gene have a 50 percent chance of inheriting it, something Jake and his brother Luke may have to deal with when making future life decisions. The disease rarely strikes before age 35.
\I don't really want to know until I need to someday, when I'm thinking about getting married or having kids,"" Jake said in an interview with the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram last year. ""I'm kind of hoping they might have a cure by then.""
Dowell, with his father on his heart and on his mind, continues to play through the hard times and has tallied 10 points in 10 games so far this season, good for fourth on the team. He leads the team with four power play goals.
CBS Evening News can be seen at 5:30 p.m.
-The Eau Claire Leader-Telegram contributed to this report
