I’ve known Ewan for over 11 years through playing basketball in Hertfordshire.  He is a great friend and teammate and one of the most considerate and thoughtful blokes I know.  The man has a big heart and always has time for others, he is also a great dad and family man and like myself, will do anything for his wife and children.

My wife (Jo) and our children (William, 3 and Phoebe, 11 months) have got to know Ewan and his family well over the years during various family and basketball related events and we are very honoured that he has chosen Action Duchenne as his charity for his Skydive on the 9^th July 2016 (provisional date, subject to change due to weather conditions etc....but it will happen).

In January this year (2016) our son William, aged 3, was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD).  It was the first time either of us had ever heard of DMD and since then our lives have been completely turned upside down.

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy is the most common fatal genetic disorder diagnosed in childhood, affecting approximately 1 in every 3,500 live male births (around 2500 people have DMD in the UK). 

Because the Duchenne gene is found on the X-chromosome, it primarily affects boys with less than 1% of those with Duchenne being female. However, it occurs across all races and cultures.

Duchenne results in progressive loss of muscle strength and is caused by a mutation in the gene that encodes for dystrophin. Because dystrophin is absent, the muscle cells are easily damaged. The progressive muscle weakness leads to serious medical problems, particularly issues relating to the heart and lungs. Young men with Duchenne typically become wheelchair dependent within their teens and live into their late twenties. Life expectancy is improving as standards of care and knowledge about Duchenne increases, and some men live into their 30’s and 40’s.

Although there is currently no cure for DMD there is support available…

Action Duchenne www.actionduchenne.org is a UK charity founded in 2001 to fund research to find a cure or viable treatments for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Since 2001 the charity has grown and continues to fund cutting edge research while campaigning for the best standards of care to be made available for all living with Duchenne. The Charity also run education and transition projects for young people living with DMD.

We are truly honored that Ewan has chosen Action Duchenne as his charity
for his Skydive.  The goal is to exceed £500 in donations with all money going to the Action Duchenne.

Thank you once again Ewan for all your support for Action Duchenne and thank you to everyone that donates to this page in helping Ewan reach (and
smash through) his target so that monies raised can go towards helping all children with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy to live as normal a life as possible and find a cure for this very unfair disorder.

Matt & Jo Eames