Allison Moore, founder of the Hereditary Neuropathy Foundation

What is Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT), and when were you diagnosed?

CMT is an inherited disorder of the peripheral nerves that causes progressive loss of muscle and sensation in the arms, hands, feet, and legs. I started having symptoms in 1995, but it took two years to get a diagnosis.

What helps you live with your condition?

Founding the Hereditary Neuropathy Foundation (HNF), which provides support for people with CMT and related diseases. HNF just launched the National CMT Resource Center with funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. You don't feel helpless when you're doing something to make a change.

Is there a person, place, or thing that has been of great support to you?

My husband, Robert. We were married less than one year when I was treated for a rare cancer with chemotherapy, which my doctors think exacerbated the CMT.