About
La Force
La Force is our decision to become actors rather than spectators in this tragedy; it lies in our choosing to act and to have hope.
Our
story
Turning tragedy into positive action
It all started when Marie-Catherine noticed that Anakin was not running, jumping, or climbing stairs like other children his age. Like any concerned parent, she began to research motor problems affecting children. Despite her belief that it was Duchenne, she hoped she was wrong. Unfortunately, she wasn’t wrong.
Marie-Catherine Du Berger – “You hope it will be a curable disease because Duchenne muscular dystrophy has no option. There is nothing in front of you to heal yourself.”
Once the shock of the news dissipated, Marie-Catherine and her spouse decided not to let themselves be defeated. “Instead of feeling sorry and staying sad and angry, we decided to move forward and get the positive out of it all, even if it was catastrophic. “, she says.
Her resilience and determination led to the creation of La Force dmd in 2014. She aimed to raise awareness in communities across Quebec and the rest of Canada about the disease. Her efforts also focused on therapeutic advances to slow down, and perhaps even one day cure, Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
Following its efforts, La Force dmd is committed to participating in the financing of two Quebec research projects in this direction. Like many other parents, Marie-Catherine is a strong advocate for access to up-and-coming treatments approved in other parts of the world.
There is still hope and a lot of work to be done.
That’s why we need your support.
As one parent to another, as one human being to another, we invite you to join our movement.
Our mission
Unity is strength
For the first time in the history of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, also known as DMD, we see a glimmer of hope emerging on the horizon.
Indeed, several new treatments are currently being approved worldwide and are about to become available.
Science and technology have never before advanced at a faster rate than we are now seeing! Treatments conceived to improve the quality of life of afflicted children and young adults will soon be upon us. Recent developments lead us to believe we are on the verge of curing this severe disease called Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).
The Force’s mission is to unite the DMD community to raise awareness around a common objective: providing access to new treatments as fast as possible and participating in the funding of promising research projects.
Where access to treatments for rare diseases is concerned, it is essential that our community be strong: each member must be an active spokesperson who helps raise awareness for DMD among the general public and the challenges associated with access to treatment.
Our mandate
To this end, we take it upon ourselves to inform and provide tools to families living with DMD to become effective advocates for the right to treatment.
We believe that every action is essential in the pursuit of a cure for DMD and that there indeed is strength in unity.
Our
goal
Our ultimate goal is to help improve the lives of a whole generation of boys and girls by:
- building links with the DMD community and making the disease known;
- Speaking to our representatives at various levels of government;
- working tirelessly to accelerate and facilitate the availability of existing treatments; and
- According to our moderate means, participating in advancing targeted DMD research brings us closer to a cure.
The actions we take in the pursuit of these objectives include the following:
- The development and implementation of various communication and information tools – including this website -maintaining a blog and publishing a monthly newsletter.
- Developing and maintaining contact with organizations that share our objectives in Canada, the US and elsewhere.
- Organizing sports, social and cultural events to raise awareness about Duchenne muscular dystrophy and amass funds.
- Direct funding of promising research projects to develop treatments geared toward delaying the disease’s effects and, of course, finding a definitive cure.
