30 days of MD: Light It Up Green for MD

by Danielle "Dani" Liptak | September 2, 2019

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Day 2 of #30daysofMD: The idea of this campaign started in 2014, asking how I could collectively include all Muscular and Neuromuscular diseases in one while bringing more Awareness to All. Clearly, the public needs to be educated that Muscular Dystrophy is in fact more than two words and more than one disease. So the idea started to become reality with Proclamations from states and cities declaring August “Light it Up Green for Muscular Dystrophy Awareness” Month. Important to note that we share the month with SMA (Spinal Muscular Atrophy) as well as Spina Bifida and I assume many others. All the dystrophies are often times misdiagnosed, misunderstood and categorized as “rare”. I then began to contemplate taking #LIUG4MD campaign a step further illuminating Landmarks (Lime Green); subsequently creating what is now our standard Letter which is sent out by my Friend/Partner Tina DiGregorio as well as myself every year. We are five years in and this “Idea” has taken shape and grown exponentially. The Illuminations are now International with more Gorgeous places signing on every year. I feel very strongly about this campaign because we are personally affected as our Son David has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. David is 25 and as of this post is doing pretty well, although DMD has taken almost everything away from him. We encourage him to live his life every day to the fullest never knowing when or if a cure is on its way. I think that each of our families have a story to tell no matter the diagnosis. The one thing we all share is an unending Love and desire to cure our babies, young adults and adults of these devastating illnesses. If we can light the world for other great causes such as Autism (Blue/April) or Childhood Cancer (Gold/September), the dystrophies (MD &NMD) which are serious life limiting conditions are most certainly deserving of a month that connects, raises Awareness and shines a big bright Light on them all. The goal is to Light the world #LIMEGREEN one landmark at a time drawing attention to “All” the different types of Muscular and Neuromuscular disorders. I hope to see them cured or at the very least prevented in my Lifetime.

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