Hi all.

 

Firstly, thank you for taking the time to visit my JustGiving fundraising page. Please read on to hear my story..

 

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy is a severe form of Muscular Dystrophy, and is characterised by the rapid progression of muscle degeneration, which eventually leads to paralysis, and unfortunately, a premature death. Although it is an extremely rare genetic disorder, with the risk of having an affected child as low as 1 in every 3500 male births, approximately 100 boys a year are born with it in the UK. Alas, although the symptoms can be treated for the moment, there is no long-term cure for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy as of yet.  

 

So, I want to do something about it. I’m fundraising for a cause very close to not only my heart, but my family’s too. My youngest cousin brother Vinny has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Vinny, like most teenage boys with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, is wheelchair bound and unable to move unaided. This has overwhelming knock-on effects for families of boys with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, as they are left struggling with the day-to-day management of the disorder.

Although he’s now 18 years old and nearly a foot taller than me, Vinny will always be the baby of our clan! He’s a cheeky chappy, always smiling, with the best one-liners! A die-hard Arsenal fan, Vinny’s the apple of not only his parents’ eyes, but our entire family’s eyes. I realise I’m not a miracle-worker or a researcher that has had years of experience in the field, but what I am is not only an apprehensive and doting cousin sister, but also an enthusiast; a strong believer of ‘every little helps’.

Thus, I’m joining thousands of women, all shapes, sizes and ages, who will all be hopping, skipping, jumping, walking or running 5K for the Adidas Women’s Challenge: the biggest women-only fun run in the UK. Fittingly, my chosen charity is Action Duchenne: a charity that fund research and campaigns for a cure for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. For them to be able to achieve developments in pioneering research towards a cure, every little really does help.

Please show your support not only for Vinny, but for the other 2000 boys in the UK that also have to live with this heartbreaking disease. Dig deep into your pockets, piggy banks, penny jars and back of sofas to sponsor me by donating to this life-changing charity that is Action Duchenne.

I hope that you will sponsor generously, please remember no donation is too small.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

 

“We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.”  - Mother Teresa.

This one’s for you Vinny!  

 

With love and premature thanks,

Heema