I'm cycling to Paris in 24 hours to help save the life of a lovely boy called Eli and the thousands of boys like him with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). The Duchenne Children’s Trust was set up by my friends Emily and Nick Crossley, after their son, Eli was shockingly and very suddenly diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD).

DMD is a 100% fatal genetic disorder with (currently) no cure. It almost exclusively affects boys. Most children are in a wheelchair by the age of 12, and go on to die in their early 20’s from heart or respiratory failure.

Boys with DMD can't produce dystrophin, a protein necessary for muscle survival and as a result, every skeletal muscle in the body deteriorates. Scientists believe they are just a few years away from finding a substantial treatment and possible cure for the disease.

The Duchenne Children's Trust was setup by Emily and Nick to help fund research for a cure. Their costs are largely met by separate donations, Emily runs the charity (unpaid), and I'm covering all costs relating to my cycling trip (Eurostar home with a few tinnies) so the money you donate will go directly to research.

The trust is currently funding 6 projects in the UK and another in Holland – all of which show real promise. Plus they've met with politicians, scientists, regulators, and pharmaceutical companies to push the case for quicker access to drugs.

This disease moves fast - Eli's life is already being affected by the disease (he's 6 - and although he doesn't know the specifics of the disease he can tell that he's not as strong, or able to move as freely as his friends) and it will quickly get worse every year.

I want to help raise funds to speed up the research and clinical trials so we can get a drug that will stop this devastating disease. The charity's founding challenge is to end Duchenne in Ten years (there are 9 left).

I hope you can please give generously to help the charity meet its goal and create a positive future for Eli and the thousands of children like him.