I’m not fit enough to run a marathon, I’m not daring enough to do a skydive, but what I can do is give up my birthday in June (13th) and ask people who would normally be kind enough to get me a card or gift, to instead donate that amount to Harrison’s Fund which raises funds to help find a cure for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. 

It would make my (birth)day and mean a lot to me if could see that I had been able to raise some money for this cause. 

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy is 100% fatal. Most children with it are usually in a wheelchair by the age of 12. One in 3,500 boys is born with it, and in the UK 2,500 kids have it at the moment. You can have it, no matter where you are or what your ethnic background is. A third of all cases start in the womb, with no warning before the baby is born. Girls can also get Duchenne with around 1% of Duchenne births being female. Most kids with it die in their late teens or early twenties·

It leads to respiratory failure, heart failure, and other debilitating orthopaedic complications. Although we know a lot about how Duchenne is caused, current treatments are pretty limited. Steroids and daily stretching are what most doctors recommend, but they have their drawbacks and don't prevent debilitating muscle contractures.

One of the projects that they are raising funds for is research into anti fibrotic drugs to alleviate these contractures. 

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.  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.