On May 28, Mike Coady and his family will be leading a 33 km walk in Sheet Harbour to raise funds for research on curing Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD).
They are this year’s walking ambassadors for Nova Scotia for a national walk for Defeat Duchenne Canada.
This disease, which effects 1 in every 5,000 boys worldwide, is a rare disease but the most common fatal form of Muscular Dystrophy. DMD is a genetic disease caused by a genetic defect on the X chromosome that mothers can pass on to their sons. It slowly weakens a person’s muscles, deterioratingthe function of vital organs and ultimately shorting their life.
Coady explained his family’s concern with the disease in a note he sent to the Cooperator. The disease “has haunted our family for generations, with the loss of two brothers, an uncle, and 5 cousins.” The 33km distance comes from a walk 26 years ago by John Davidson who started Jesse’s journey (now Defeat Duchenne Canada) by pushing his son Jesse 33 km daily across Ontario. Then in 1997 John walked across Canada, St. Johns to Vancouver, raising funds for research to find a cure and raise awareness about Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Walking 33km per day, he completed the 8,272 km journey in 286 days.
Coady and his team raised over $12,000 from last year’s walk. If you would like to support Coady’s team, go to this Internet address https://defeatduchenne.akaraisin.com/ui/wtdd2023, select “Location,” and pick “Walk in Nova Scotia.” Donations of $20 or more receive a tax receipt.