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"A Challenge is something that makes demands upon one's abilities and endurance to take risks and to succeed."
Duchenne Muscular Dystophy affects only males, with extremely rare exceptions. Unless a boy with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy is known to be at risk because of his family history, he is unlikely to be diagnosed before the age of 2 or 3 years. At the present time there is no cure for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, but with the advances made by the work being done on the genetic code, a cure may not be far away.
On average, use of a wheelchair increases from occasional use at about the age of nine years to almost total dependance by the early teens. As the ability to walk is lost, the function of the hands and arms become increasingly important in determining the affected persons abilities. Most affected people survive into their twenties. A small minority survive only to their late teens, another small number to more than thirty years of age.
I was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy at the age of
14 months after a muscle biopsy was performed upon my 5 year old
brother. Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy was a Challenge that was foisted
upon me. With the affects of the disease on my daily activities,
I face Physical and Emotional Challenges everyday of my life.
Physical Challenges
Emotion Challenges
Reflection
Bibliography
work
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