Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is a rare progressive muscle-wasting disease. Those with Duchenne are unable to produce dystrophin, a protein vital for muscle strength and function. 1 in 3,600 boys are born with DMD, that’s around 20,000 new cases worldwide per year. Females can carry the faulty gene responsible for causing Duchenne, though only 1 in 50 million girls are severely affected. Most children with Duchenne are diagnosed around the age of 4, with early symptoms including frequent falls, a waddling gait, struggling with running, jumping and climbing stairs and an inability to keep up with other children. Muscle strength in children with Duchenne steadily declines from around the age of 6, with many being confined to a wheelchair by the early teenage years. By the early 20’s most young people with Duchenne will have lost the use of their arms, and will be experiencing more problems with their heart and breathing. It is unusual for someone with Duchen...
