Today is World Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Day. This is the first year I have heard of a day being devoted to DMD and perhaps it has to do with the Jerry Lewis Telethon no longer being aired.
Most people do not know what Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy is. Many people have mistaken it for Multiple Sclerosis, which is also a neuromuscular disease but is not the same. DMD is a genetic disease when muscules are missing a protein called dystrophin. Without this protein, muscles cannot fully develop and they eventually start to deteriorate. Unlike other types of MD, Duchennes attacks muscules all over the body, not just the legs. The arms become weak, along with shoulder, abdominal and back muscles. Being the monster that this disease is, it also goes for vital organs, such as the heart and weakens muscules that help us to breathe, such as the diaphragm. Many boys succomb to the disease from pneumonia or heart failure. As back muscles weaken, scoliosis sets in, making surgery necessary. Without spinal fusion, which is very risky and involves a titanium rod being put into the back so it can be kept straight, the spine continues to compress which makes it difficult to breathe and puts stress on the heart. Many of the boys have to use ventillators to aide in breathing earlier on without the spinal fusion.
Muscles that we take for granted to aide us in our balance so we can sit up straight deteriorate making it impossible to sit on a chair without support. Without the ability to stand, many families use special lift systems to help transfer their kids from bed to chair and even to use the bathroom.
Duchenne MD takes on its full form in males. My mother has a more aggressive mutation of DMD and she has lost a lot of muscle in her legs and arms. She has fallen and injured herself and we are looking at making modifications to her home in the future to insure her health and safety. I have symptoms but they are not as severe as my mothers and I hope I can keep them at bay by being proactive with a plant based diet and plenty of walking. We recently found out that my youngest sister has the disease and it was passed on to my 10 month old nephew.
Duchenne MD, along with many other neuromuscular diseases, takes a tremendous emotional and financial toll on families. The spinal fusion surgery is a six figure procedure and a power wheelchair can cost well over $15,000.00. This doesn’t account for lost wages because unless a good caregiver is available, one parent has to stay home to care for their son. There are also regular visits to the cardiologist and pulmonoligist along with physical therapy.
We lost our oldest son, Christian, in 2014 to this disease. His heart became too weak and he had a great deal of trouble breathing. My other son, Andrew, continues to deal with the ongoing weakness and complications related to DMD. He has days when he is in a great deal of pain and most boys cannot take large amounts of painkillers because of the side effects.
The Jerry Lewis MDA telethon has raised millions to aide in research so we can find a cure to this disease, along with other neuromuscular diseases. It was heartbreaking to hear about the end of the telethon. We now have to think outside of the box for ways to raise more awareness and to continue to fight for a cure. There are several different methods being studied with some actually showing improvement for some of our boys. It still has a way to go but we must not lose hope. I, along with many other mothers and fathers that have to live with this disease every single day, do not want this day to be lost among the other fun, national holidays – National Hug Your Cat Day or National Pizza Day. Please donate to your local MDA events, such as Fill the Boot and the MDA lockups to support statewide summer camps and MDA Clinics. The clinics are very important, especially for people who live in such a spread out state like Montana.
We have had to watch the boys lose friends from MDA camp and in turn fear for their own future. I have created a Facebook group so us moms can support each other during difficult times and give each other ideas as the disease progresses. With enough awareness and scientific research we can beat this disease and give our boys hope.