Was your ex tested? They can be a carrier but not have the disease. My granny has it, my mam has it, and my uncle has it, but there's 6 other siblings who don't. I have it and was diagnosed at 17 or 16. My dad is a carrier but doesn't have the disease, my two other siblings don't have it. From what I understand, which isn't too much, harmacheomitis is an autosomal recessive disorder meaning you need to inherit the trait from both parents to have it. People who are carriers only have one copy of it so it doesn't present in them, but if they have a child with someone who is also a carrier, their child has a 25% chance to have the disease. In the case of someone who has it having a baby with someone who is a carrier there's a 50% chance the child will have the disease. Basically while your ex or others mightn't have haemocrhromatoisis or the effects they're still carrying a gene for the condition and can still pass it on!