Changing my mindset about Duchenne led me to new friends
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Nova Scotia native Brayden Cream, 21, is taking life one day at a time and advocating for the Duchenne community. He poses next to a sign that reads “NSCC Class of 2025” after his college graduation. (Courtesy of Brayden Cream)
In recognition of Muscular Dystrophy Awareness Month in September, the Muscular Dystrophy Awareness Month campaign features a series of stories highlighting the real-life experiences of people affected by muscular dystrophy, written in their own words. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or X for more stories like this, using the hashtag #MDAwarenessMonth, or read the full series.
Hey everyone! My name is Brayden Cream, and I have Duchenne muscular dystrophy. I’m 21 years old, and I live in Nova Scotia, on Canada’s east coast, with my parents and younger brother.
I was diagnosed with Duchenne when I was a year old. My parents tell me that my early diagnosis helped several other boys in Nova Scotia receive their diagnoses, too.
My parents took a slightly different path when it came to sharing my diagnosis. They didn’t explain it to me until I was 10. When I was younger, I didn’t ask many questions. My parents just told me that my muscles worked a little bit differently from everyone else’s, and I was OK with that. I took all my medications and went to my doctor’s appointments with no issues. I didn’t question anything because that was my life, and it seemed normal to me.
Duchenne didn’t really start to affect me until I was 10. The first thing I noticed was that I couldn’t walk as fast as my peers. One day, I tried to walk faster to keep up with them, but my body simply wouldn’t cooperate, no matter how hard I tried.
When I got home from school that day, I walked in the door crying. I asked my parents why I couldn’t walk as fast as everyone else. They sat me down and told me that I had a muscle condition called Duchenne muscular dystrophy, which makes my muscles weaker over time. I was devastated, and I really didn’t know what to think.
After I had felt this way for a while, my parents suggested talking to a psychologist who had helped them back when I was first diagnosed. I was very open to the idea because I wanted to work through my sadness and feel better about living with Duchenne.
Talking to a psychologist was the best decision my parents and I could have made during that difficult time. My psychologist improved my mindset about having Duchenne.
When I fully accepted my condition, I wanted to connect with the rest of the community. At first, I started following other people online. Then, in 2025, I joined Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy’s Adult Advisory Committee and met an amazing community of like-minded people with Duchenne, whom I now call my friends.
Not a week goes by without me chatting with someone else with Duchenne. It feels awesome to talk to people who fully understand what you’re going through.
I’d like to share a quote I live by every day: “Take it one day at a time and live life to the fullest.”
