Thanksgiving is also National Family Health History Day. Created in 2004, National Family Health History Day was established to encourage families to share health information during a time when relatives are gathered together. It is an effort to help prevent diseases like hereditary cancer.
Genetic variants that increase the risk of cancer can be passed down for generations, sometimes centuries. And at least 1 in 279 people carry one of these mutations. Knowing and sharing family health history can be lifesaving.
Discussing family health history is a great idea. However, let’s be honest; it probably isn’t the easiest of subjects to discuss at the Thanksgiving table. So here are a couple of items to help get the conversation started. A lighthearted graphic to show relationships, and a pedigree to record family health history. (Did my Pilgrim ancestors discuss health at the first Thanksgiving? Probably, considering nearly half the colony had died, including my 9th great-grandfather, William White. But I digress.)
The Pea Pod graphic is from a book project I’m working on that will hopefully help more people understand a little more about genetics and how learning more about your family tree can help prevent hereditary cancer. Once completed, I’ll try and provide as many free copies as feasible to any healthcare professional or inherited disease prevention advocate who might be able to use them.
To download this graphic, go to www.genetionary.org/family. To learn more about inherited cancer risk, go to www.genetionary.org.
