Faye Lawrence
Doing it for Dexter
Fundraising for Duchenne UK
Story
On barely any training, off the back of a very idle summer, in less than 6 weeks my friend Lucy and I will be running the London Royal Parks Half marathon. We are taking the spaces of my incredible friend Jen and her brother who had to unexpectedly pull out. I am inspired by Jen’s amazingness all the time, and so I’d really like to help her on her mission to raise funds for Duchenne.
In 2007 I trained with Jen and Alban on our PGCE’s together. Fast forward (too many to mention here) years to the time we were all having babies and starting families and taking their health for granted, when Jen and Alban received a world-shattering diagnosis of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy for their little boy Dexter, who is 6. Despite her little boy’s diagnosis Jen is completely proactive in aiming to raise money for Duchenne, alongside working as a full time teacher and being an awesome Mummy to two small humans. This run is definitely not going to be about obtaining a PB, or breaking any records , but it’s one way I can show my support to this awesome family. Please read Jen’s words here:
Story
On the 13 March 2016, our lives changed for the better: our beautiful baby boy, Dexter Squires-Jamison was born. A chilled, incredibly happy baby, he progressed well and reached many of his developmental milestones, however when he was 18 months old, he was referred to a physio as he was still not walking very well. We saw the physio every month and by the time Dexter was 2, he was walking and we thought all was well. The physio mentioned that he was still not transitioning well (between standing and sitting etc.) so thought it was best to send him for checks with a paediatrician.
On the 25 May 2018, we attended a doctor appointment and he mentioned that Dexter possibly had symptoms indicating a diagnosis of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). Shocked, numb and in disbelief that this could possibly be happening to us, we spent the next week Googling DMD, researching, hoping for other explanations, fact-finding. The statistic, '1 child in every 3,500 will be diagnosed with DMD,' haunted myself and Alban for the next seven days - we couldn't be that 1 in 3,500 surely?
On the 1 June 2018, the blood test results arrived. The worst day of our lives. Dexter was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a condition we had never heard of but which suddenly robbed us of the life we had expected to be able to live with our son, and the life we had wished for, for our amazing little boy. DMD is a condition that can affect ANY family.
Since Dexter's diagnosis, we have become an even stronger family, stronger than I ever thought. We are now trying to be proactive in our everyday lives, living for every single moment, fundraising and raising awareness of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Duchenne UK are 100% committed to funding pioneering research that aims to find successful treatments that delay the rate at which the disease takes it toll on the body.
Thank you so much for visiting our Family & Friends Fund - any donation will be greatly appreciated. Together, we will end Duchenne.
Much love, Jen, Alban, Dexter and Amelie.
