THANK YOU!

Thank you for hosting a meatball supper or event and raising money for young people with Muscular Dystrophy.

At Muscle Help Foundation (MHF) we ensure that despite their diagnosis our young people can fulfil their dreams, their Muscle Dreams.

At 25, Leah’s spinal muscular atrophy meant she needed a lot of care. Her life expectancy was limited to about 40 years old. She had been in and out of hospital for her entire life – struggling to walk, move and live her daily life.

After a particularly hard period, Leah’s 19-year-old sister Chloe felt Leah pulling away from the family. Chloe said Leah was ‘always withdrawn, angry and confused – it was clear she was struggling to like herself’. When they tried to plan family days out, Leah said:

Chloe came across the MHF charity and nominated her for a Flying ‘Earn Your Wings’ Muscle Dream Programme, that saw a community of other young people with MD get the chance to fly a plane and directly experience level-flight by taking the controls with their own two hands. A day where your condition defines what you can do, rather than what you can’t.

During the day, not only did Leah fly a plane, but she also met Naomi, with the same condition. Leah said:

This powerful social connection helped her face her fears and fly the plane. Years later, Leah said she still feels:

When asked what the experience meant to her, she said:

For many young people like Leah, their Muscular Dystrophy can be all consuming. With no cure on the horizon, it can be extremely hard to imagine a life of possibility.

MHF organises and facilitates highly personalised interventions across the UK called 'Muscle Dreams' that deliver powerful physiological and psychological benefits, from improving emotional and mental wellness to boosting confidence and self-esteem.

Restorative, uplifting and transformational in nature, beneficiaries are empowered by being given the opportunity to realise their dreams – from learning a new skill to exploring one’s imagination, from experiencing level flight like Leah to being a part of one of MHF’s sought after bespoke programmes, these interventions reduce isolation & enhance social connection. In the words of one young person, these dreams ‘catapult them back into a life of possibility’.