RICHARD FOTY
This June, I will be riding my bicycle 500km to fundraise for better outcomes for those living with Duchenne muscular dystrophy via the Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Research Fund at the University of Toronto.
WHY I AM RIDING:
In 2014, I met Pat Furlong who made me aware of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Pat is one of the most wonderful people in the world and someone I’m fortunate to call a friend and mentor. Her story and journey with Duchenne is both heartbreaking and inspirational (Read Pat’s story in the New Yorker here).
Duchenne is the most common muscle disease of childhood. It is very rare in girls but affects 1 in 3,500 boys. It causes the boys’ muscles to get weaker as they age. Boys start falling frequently starting around age 3 and from there have trouble climbing stairs and getting up from a seated position. Eventually, walking becomes too difficult, and a wheelchair is needed. Duchenne then affects the arms, then the muscles used for breathing and finally, the heart. Duchenne muscular dystrophy is 100% fatal.
Fast forward 8 years and one of my students has a son living with Duchenne. In 2015, Max and his father Andrew started riding their cargo bike 600 km between their home in Hamilton and Ottawa to draw much-needed attention to the fight against Duchenne muscular dystrophy and they’ve continued this ride every summer since.
This year my goal is to cycle 500 km through the month of June and raise $2500 to help in the fight against Duchenne. There is currently no cure. However, medical interventions have increased the life span and improved the quality of life for many people living with Duchenne.
Max’s Big Ride fundraises for the Gunning Group Lab and PRiME at the University of Toronto. 100% of all money received goes into these labs to support research into better outcomes for those living with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
Thank you so much for your support! And please pass this along to any friends or corporations you feel may be willing to help.
Rich
To donate and support my 500km ride, please read the following;
Please click on the ‘SUPPORT’ button at the bottom of this page. This will take you to the Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Research Fund page at the University of Toronto.
Choose your donation amount and press continue. No amount is too small or too big.
Enter your personal information and press continue.
To ensure your donation is added to my fundraising total, please type ‘Rich’ in the ‘Additional Information’ box in step 2 of the form as shown below and press continue.
Complete the remainder of the form and THANK YOU!
If you have questions or need assistance, please email andrew@maxsbigride.com
