Advocacy campaign aiming for more birthdays for people with DMD
CureDuchenne launches awareness drive to highlight need for new treatments
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CureDuchenne, a U.S.-based nonprofit that funds research into new treatments for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), has launched a national public service announcement campaign to highlight the urgency behind research for people with DMD.
The new advocacy campaign, dubbed A Cure Can’t Wait, highlights the need for aggressive work to find new treatments and, hopefully, a cure, as soon as possible. To make its case, the campaign turns to one of the most universal human experiences: a birthday.
Birthdays are almost always a cause for celebration, the global nonprofit noted. But for families affected by progressive diseases such as muscular dystrophy, including types like Duchenne, birthdays can also carry the weight of a ticking clock.
DMD is a genetic disease that causes muscle weakness and wasting, and as time goes on, the disease tends to worsen — meaning that every birthday is another year where symptoms may be getting worse, according to advocates.
“As a mother, I know what it feels like to watch your child grow up and want nothing more than to protect their future,” Debra Miller, founder and CEO of CureDuchenne, said in a press release from the nonprofit detailing the new information and fundraising effort.
“For families living with Duchenne, every birthday carries that love, and the need for a treatment that will stop this disease’s relentless progression,” Miller said. Her son, Hawken Miller, is one of the people spotlighted on the campaign’s website.
Care for DMD has advanced notably in recent decades. Just 20 years ago, there weren’t any approved treatments for DMD.
Now, there are several treatments approved in the U.S. that may help slow the disease’s progression — but not everyone is eligible for these therapies, and even some patients who are have experienced lackluster efficacy.
As such, CureDuchenne is pushing for more funding to help bring a new generation of DMD treatments into clinics, offering a brighter future for people with this disease, according to the nonprofit.
“What stands between today’s research and tomorrow’s cure is funding, and we’re calling on the public to join us in closing that gap,” Miller said.
Advocacy campaign honors life of one creator, who died in May
In addition to raising awareness generally, this advocacy campaign also carries forward the legacy of Adrien Joshua Quintero, a DMD patient who participated in the creation of the public service announcement. Quintero died in May, shortly after filming for the campaign. He was 23.
“We are honored to dedicate this campaign to Adrien Quintero, whose courage will not be forgotten. We carry his memory forward with urgency, because a cure cannot wait,” Miller said.
What stands between today’s research and tomorrow’s cure is funding, and we’re calling on the public to join us in closing that gap.
The work is supported in part by Horizon Media, an independent media agency that is donating media placement services to the campaign to audiences across the U.S.
Bill Koenigsberg, Horizon’s CEO and founder, said the agency is “honored to play a role in this campaign.”
“At Horizon Media, we believe that media has the power to move people, and this campaign is a powerful example of why that matters,” Koenigsberg said. “When we heard what CureDuchenne was trying to accomplish, and the story behind it, we wanted to do everything we could to make sure as many people as possible see it.”
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