Declan was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy at age eight. After his diagnosis, his family set up a Family Fund to raise money for vital research, hoping to improve the lives of children like Declan.
Declan's Muscle Mission
Before to his diagnosis, from the age of four, Declan had been seen yearly by a paediatric consultant. This followed concerns raised by both myself and the school about the number of times he was falling. We were initially told he most likely had dyspraxia.
Just before his eighth birthday, the doctor decided to run some blood tests. These came back showing CK levels of over 10,000. Further tests confirmed that Declan had Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
This was a huge shock to us all. Before his diagnosis, I didn’t know anything about the condition or how it would affect Declan’s health.
“It quickly became clear, through research and speaking with his new neuromuscular team, that our lives had been turned upside down.”
His diagnosis also sent shockwaves through our wider family, as myself, my mum, and my sister all found out we are carriers of the gene.
As a family, we’ve come together and are now stronger than ever. We work as a team to support Declan through every step of his Duchenne journey.
Declan’s determination and resilience inspire us to keep doing our part to raise money for Muscular Dystrophy UK.
So far, we’ve taken part in sponsored swims, bike rides, and the Pedal, Paddle, Peak challenge to raise funds for the charity.
Our goal through Declan’s Family Fund is to support vital research into Duchenne, helping to improve the lives of children like Declan and giving them the best possible start in life.
We also want to help Muscular Dystrophy UK continue supporting families who may be struggling with a diagnosis or the day-to-day challenges of caring for a loved one with a muscle wasting condition.
