How far would you go for your son? For Jean-Philippe Morand and his son Victor, the answer is 704 KM. The duo completed the Ottawa Marathon in May and “La Randonnée Jimmy Pelletier” in June (620 KM of cycling). This Sunday, August 27, they’re up for another marathon, this time in Québec. The father and son are on a mission to raise awareness about Duchenne Muscular dystrophy.
Victor was diagnosed with Duchenne
DMD is an incurable and 100% fatal disease. Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a rare genetic disorder that affects mainly boys. The progression of DMD is unforgiving: the body’s muscles gradually weaken, leaving the boys in a wheelchair at the age of 12, with a life expectancy of 20 to 30 years. Today there is hope for DMD, and several new treatments are on the horizon.
Raising funds and awareness to access new treatments
Within the next 5 to 10 years (or even before then), some new treatment options should be on their way to completion. At this time, two treatments are approved in the US and Europe, but not yet available in Canada. Therefore, educating people about what Duchenne is and about access to new therapies is extremely important. It will help children like Victor access the latest treatments rapidly before the disease has evolved to much.
Leading the way for the DMD community
La Fondation La Force has been associated with “Dystrospin” since 2016, a fundraising event organized by the Morand family for the past four years. A portion of the money raised was invested in the purchase of a suitable wheelchair. It’s because of this kind of generosity that Jean-Philippe can participate in sports events to raise awareness about Duchenne muscular dystrophy and access to new treatments.
Please support them
There’s nothing better than a father’s courage to raise awareness about Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Today there is hope for DMD, and several new treatments are on the horizon. This hope motivates Jean-Philippe to go beyond his limits for his son, but what he does also benefit all children with DMD.
If you’re attending the marathon, please encourage them. A group of friends will help the father and son go on the last stretch of the marathon, a very steep hill.
Every effort to raise awareness about this rare and devastating disease will help us facilitate access to new treatments.
We at La Force are proud to support Jean-Philippe Morand and his family.
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Photo Credit:
- Southavy Pathammavong > Instagram Street Dreams Ottawa
