Raising Awareness Of Duchenne's Disease

The second World Duchenne Awareness Day is set to take place on Monday, September 7, and is being marked at the offices of Greece’s Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA Hellas) in Victoria Square, downtown Athens. The event, organized by parent and patient associations, aims to spread awareness about this devastating form of muscular dystrophy.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is one of the most common fatal genetic disorders, which affects on average one in every 3,500 newborn boys worldwide. It is caused by errors in the dystrophin gene, the longest gene in the human body. Boys with DMD gradually lose mobility and are wheelchair-bound by the age of 12. In the next period it destroys breathing and heart muscles. The condition carries a life expectancy of 25-30 years and has no current cure.

To mark the day, 500 red balloons will be released after 7 p.m. to represent the 500 boys and men currently living with DMD in Greece.

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