In our house Louis is just Louis. Muscular Dystrophy isn't the first thought on our minds. We accept what he can and can't do as normal and regularly forget that his peers are so far ahead of him in their physical capabilities. That is until a birthday party, or the weekly drop off in the schol yard, or swimming lessons or any other occasion where we see Louis alongside children of the same age or younger. Then it smacks us in the face. Every. Single. Time.

When I watch the just 4 year old bound down the stone steps after 30 minutes of swimming, leaping from step to step ahead of her father. After I have had to carry my 5 and a half year old from the same swimming lesson, physically dress him, before slowly and often painfully, negotiating each step, one at a time, carefully lowering one foot then the other, holding my hand and the rail for support.

When I watch his peers run crazily around at soft play, running ahead and then back to check on Louis far behind, then coming to tell me when their attempts to help him have failed and he needs me to go in because his legs have no more strength and he must sit out for a good 20 minutes.

When I watch him playing musical bumps and just as he manages to stand back up, the music has already started and stopped again and he has to try and sit down, taking so long and using up so much energy that he pysically can not join in the Hokey Cokey at the end and has to watch from my knee while I try to massage his calves and keep my heart from breaking for him.

When I take him to school and he tries to play chase with his friends before school starts but it ends up more running round in cirlces with Louis being overlapped several times and wondering how long this game will satisfy him and his friends before they splinter off to play 'real' chase.

Watching the other kids run out of school while we push Louis home in his wheelchair because his legs are too tired to get him to the car.

Reality smacks us hard and deep. Louis is 5. Already he cannot manage some things a 3 yr old can do with ease. It's going to get worse. Louis is 5. There are still a lot of years of research ahead that could help him and other children like him. This is our reality. This is Louis' reality. Louis is a fighter. Please help us help him to keep fighting by donating as much as you can and sharing our page.

From the bottom of our hearts, Thank You.

Muscular Dystrophy UK is the charity for 70,000 people living with muscle-wasting conditions. They are making a difference today, providing vital information and support to help people live as independently as possible. They are making a difference for tomorrow, accelerating progress in research and driving the campaign for access to emerging treatments.