Huntington's disease is in 1News political producer Lillian Hanly's family.
Her mum has it, a cousin has it, and her grandfather Pat Hanly, a renowned artist, was well into experiencing symptoms when he died.
The degenerative disease can cause brain cells to die, impacting movement, cognitive ability and mental health.
Fifty Percent follows 1News political producer Lillian Hanly as she decides whether or not to get tested for the disease.
Hanly is faced with a choice — to get tested to see if she carries the gene. She explores that choice in a short documentary called Fifty Percent .
Breakfast presenter John Campbell described the film as "very personal and very brilliant".
Hanly said she was trying to communicate her own story — exploring the wider messages, values and joy that also come with her genes.
"I don’t want to make light of it," she said. "It’s not about dismissing the very real and very serious implications of the disease, especially for people who have it far worse than my family.
Hanly said for her family, Huntington's disease comes on later in life, so they are able to make a choice over whether to get tested to find out. For some others, Huntington's can impact people early in life.
Dr Malvindar Singh-Bains, from the Centre of Brain Research, said it was a "huge decision" for people whether or not to get the test.
She said Huntington's disease belonged to a family of conditions which affects the brain and is a combination of many of them, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
Singh-Bains also said Huntington's was unique due to its hereditary component.
She said it causes involuntary movement mid-life and involves behavioural, psychological and memory-related changes.
Singh-Bains told Breakfast there is hope, however.
"There are hundreds of researchers like me working toward better treatments... We're here for you."
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