It was a privilege to support World Duchenne Awareness Day 2022 at Cobham Free School, alongside Elmbridge CAN.
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is one of the most common and severe forms of muscular dystrophy, usually affecting boys. It is a genetic disorder characterised by progressive muscle degeneration and weakness due to alterations of a protein called dystrophin that helps to keep muscle cells intact.
There are around 500 children with DMD in Ukraine and around 2,500 in the UK.
Marharyta Yashchenko from Ukraine has recently moved to Cobham with her son, Danya, who suffers from DMD.
In 2019, Marharyta and her daughter set up the charity NGO Duchenne Ukraine, giving them a platform to connect with international organisations and medical professionals to help Ukrainian children connect with international organisations and medical professionals.
Thank you to Marharyta, Cobham Free School and Elmbridge CAN for organising this event to help raise awareness of DMD. The online conference was attended by over 600 participants from across Ukraine, including Mikhail Radutsky – the Chair of the Ukrainian Parliament’s Health Committee.