Note: This story was updated Aug. 31, 2022, to clarify that MDA Advocate Madison Lawson will throw out the honorary pitch at the Cardinals game alongside Donald S. Wood. Supporters across the country are poised to mark National Muscular Dystrophy Awareness Month, observed each September in the U.S. The…
I face many obstacles because of my Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Some of them are large, like preparing for the day when I’m unable to bear my own weight. Some of them are small, like getting help scrubbing myself in the shower. Although I would rather avoid these obstacles altogether, they’ve…
Children with myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) showed a decline in cognitive function over two years, with frequent impairment in visuospatial skills and attention, a small study suggested. The data indicate cognitive, neuropsychological, emotional, and behavioral assessments should be administered to children with DM1 periodically during development, the researchers…
The first patient has been dosed in a pilot study evaluating vamorolone as a potential treatment for Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD). The steroid medication has been under development by ReveraGen BioPharma as a possible therapy for other types of muscular dystrophy. Now, a Phase 2 trial…
There is a busyness to parenting. Children of all ages need their parents for many reasons. And perhaps because my husband, Jason, and I have seven children ranging from 7 months to 21 years old, we feel every ounce of that busyness. I read memes and articles about the glorification…
Dyne Therapeutics’ FORCE platform delivered its investigational exon-skipping therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) directly to muscles in a mouse model of the disease, according to the results of a preclinical study. The potential DMD treatment improved dystrophin protein production and enhanced physical activity in treated mice. The…
“You’ve got a friend in me.” The title of my favorite Disney theme song, by Randy Newman, has never had greater significance for me. The last thing I would’ve expected to be my friend has, in the depths of grief and sorrow, become my strongest ally. I am a…
Transferring a healthy version of the Large1 gene into adult mice with severe congenital muscular dystrophy restored the function of muscles involved in movement and breathing, a study found. The use of this gene therapy translated into an extended lifespan for the mice, which had congenital muscular dystrophy —…
Two weeks ago, I tested positive for COVID-19, which can be especially dangerous for people with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. My lungs aren’t as strong as other people’s lungs, and taking a corticosteroid for nearly 20 years has weakened my immune system. But after consulting with my excellent…
“We are called upon not to be successful, but to be faithful.” This quote, which has been passed down in many forms, is one of my favorites from Mother Teresa. I’ve been thinking a lot about life with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). We’re going to our neuromuscular clinic…
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