I plan to complete Newry City Half Marathon on 28th May 2017. I have been training since February for this event.

I aim to raise money for UK research centres that are working endlessly to find a cure and effective treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

In the past, there has been no treatment that has been medically approved by the FDA (Food and Drugs Agency) or (European Medicine Agency) for anyone with DMD.

However, in April 2016 the EMA made history by approving the first treatment, Translarna, for a certain mutation of DMD. In September 2016 the FDA approved Exondys 51, another successful and effective treatment for another mutation type of DMD. The EMA are currently in the process of approving this treatment for Europe and the UK.

Utrophin is another extremely exciting treatment that is in it's second last stage of clinical trial and if approved by FDA and EMA, it would be suitable for all mutation types of Duchenne muscular dystrophy which is an astounding and life changing discovery.

Gene Therapy is another treatment that will be part of the future for DMD sufferers, however it's in very early stages of clinical trial.

There are so many different clinical trails happening within the research of treatment for DMD, however the above mentioned are the most promising and closest to finishing clinical trail and being approved.

Professors, consultants, doctors, clinicians are all working extremely hard on a daily basis to develop an effective treatment or cure. Without the clinical trials, none of these hopeful treatments could be possible for the future. These people are integral in changing the history of DMD forever.

So I plan to raise money and send it directly to one of these essential research centres.