Niki Cuccinotto says her large, loud Italian family has always been Cubs fans. From a very young age, Niki remembers seeing her Grandpa Joe in a crisp blue Cubs jersey while the whole family cooked on the grill during the game. He was a thin man confined to a wheelchair who couldn't speak, and Niki says it's because Grandpa Joe had Huntington's disease.

Niki often explains to people that there is a 1 in 3 chance that all 9 of Grandpa Joe's children — her aunts, uncles and dad — would inherit the disease, which is similar to Parkinson's. Niki Cuccinotto is a science educator and writer. The next storytelling event is Tuesday, Feb. 11, at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts.