WATCH: Schoolfriends Cheer On Young Runner As He Finishes 15km Run Raising €33,623 For His Friend
Schoolfriends cheered on a young seven-year-old boy today as he completed the last stretch of his 15km run to raise funds to buy all-terrain powerchair for his school friend, Eric, who suffers from a muscle degeneration disorder.
The goal was to run 15km to try and raise money for a lightweight powerchair and today marked the last stretch of Dan Miceli Demajo’s touching campaign, Power4Eric. His fellow classmates can be seen cheering on the young runner before they and even Eric, joined him for the last 100m.
Dan, a Year 4 student at San Anton, has smashed through his goal, managing to raise €33,623 in just a few days, allowing his friend Eric to now be able to get the powerchair to ensure that his Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is no longer a limitation to enjoying time with his friends.
What is DMD?
According to their official website, Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy defines muscle weakness as the principal symptom of DMD. It can start very early in people, as early as two or three years old.
Typically it starts “affecting proximal muscles (those close to the core of the body and later affecting the distal limb muscles (those close to the extremities)”.
Those with DMD typically will find difficulty running, jumping and walking alongside other physical activities.
Other symptoms can include “enlargement of the calves, a waddling gait, and lumbar lordosis (an inward curve of the spine).”
Later in life, both the heart and respiratory muscles become affected as well. The progressive weakness and scoliosis result in “impaired pulmonary function” that can eventually cause “acute respiratory failure”.
You can find more information about DMD here.
Share this heartfelt video to congratulate Dan
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