Alison Kay
Bertie takes on Parallel London
Fundraising for Muscular Dystrophy UK
Story
Bertie and other children like him desperately need a cure. Bertie was diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy (Ullrich's Congenital MD) in 2014 - a very rare and degenerative muscle wasting disease. We have set up Bertie's Buccaneers on his behalf to raise awareness of this cruel condition, robbing him of a normal childhood. The challenge! Exactly four years on from the London 2012 Paralympics, Bertie himself will take his place on the start line at the iconic Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park for the world’s first fully accessible and inclusive push/run, Parallel London. He'll be raising money for Muscular Dystrophy UK and the global CMD alliance when he does.
http://pushrun.parallellondon.com/
Find out more about Bertie's Buccaneers here: www.facebook.com/bertiesbuccaneers
Ullrich's CMD is very rare and caused by a random mutation in his gene code. There is no cure...YET. Some really groundbreaking research is underway BUT progressing very slowly due to the lack of funding.
What it means for Bertie is progressive muscle weakness and contractures in key joints, making mobility harder and harder to maintain. It will also mean ongoing monitoring of his ability to swallow and his heart and lung function - all types of CMD can lead to respiratory failure. Today, he already can't keep up with his playmates or often even join in. Everything is hard. He falls over all the time and needs to use his wheelchair to get from A to B. He has endless hospital appointments but no treatment.
There is research being undertaken that could change the future for children like Bertie. This research can only continue with funding. If you can, please help Bertie and children like him by donating and thereby supporting Muscular Dystrophy UK (MDUK).
No disease is too rare to fight!
About Muscular Dystrophy UK (MDUK):
MDUK is the charity for the 70,000 people currently living with muscle-wasting conditions in the UK. It supports ground-breaking research and provides vital information, advice, resources and support for people with these conditions:
http://www.musculardystrophyuk.org/
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. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.
